Australia news live: Qantas ground crews vote for right to strike amid pay dispute
Qantas ground handling crews have voted overwhelmingly to authorize industrial action following a pay dispute. The union claims the airline is underpaying staff while executive pay increases, though Qantas maintains it is negotiating in good faith.
Why it matters
Potential strikes could cause significant travel disruptions for Australians and highlights ongoing tensions regarding labor rights and corporate wage practices in the aviation sector.
Qantas ground handling crews may soon walk off the job after overwhelmingly voting in favour of taking industrial action to demand better pay and conditions.
The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) says 97% of its members employed by Qantas Ground Services (QGS) workers voted for the right to strike in the coming weeks.
QGS is a subsidiary company owned by the airline, set up when Alan Joyce was still its CEO, which – according to the union – pays workers less than its “legacy” workforce.
Its ground crews also perform work for Qantas Freight and the company’s regional Q-Link service, the union says.
The TWU says its health and safety reps in New South Wales have served Qantas with 14 provisional improvement notices over alleged safety failings at Qantas Freight, where a labour hire worker died last year.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in