Australian airport staff to strike over pay and safety

Major industrial action is expected at several Australian airports, including Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth. Up to 400 Certis security staff at Sydney Airport are scheduled to conduct two separate two-hour work stoppages. These workers, critical to passenger safety, are protesting declining wages and job insecurity despite reported high profits at the airport.

Simultaneously, approximately 500 Qantas ground staff from subsidiaries QGS, AAE, and QantasLink will participate in a 24-hour strike across multiple cities. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) is calling for a reset regarding pay, safety, and job security, criticizing corporate structures that they claim drive a ‘race to the bottom’ for workers.

Sydney Airport has advised passengers to allow extra travel time and monitor airline updates due to potential delays. While Qantas stated that contingency plans are in place to prevent delays from these specific strikes, union representatives noted that some level of disruption is an inevitable consequence of the industrial action.