Qantas workers strike at four airports over pay and job security

Hundreds of Qantas ground and freight workers began a 24-hour strike on Thursday, September 24. The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) organized the action at major airports in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. It involves employees of Qantas subsidiaries Qantas Ground Services and Australian air Express, as well as regional carrier QantasLink.

The TWU said negotiations over pay, job security and safety standards had stalled. Workers are seeking pay increases in line with industry standards and more full-time positions. They also want Qantas to stop using multiple subsidiaries, which the union says has fragmented the workforce and weakened safety protocols.

Qantas said it had contingency plans to minimize disruption. The strike coincides with the start of school holidays and could affect regional travel on QantasLink services from Sydney. The action mainly affects freight operations and QantasLink services in Sydney. Mainline domestic and international flights are not directly affected by this group of striking workers.