Air travel across Australia is expected to be disrupted next Tuesday 30 July with security screening officers at Brisbane Airport primed to take strike action.
Yesterday (EDS: Thursday) a majority of Brisbane Airport screeners voted down the latest offer from contractor ISS on the basis it did not meet parity with their colleagues in Sydney. This paves the way for protected industrial action on Tuesday morning.
Around 150 workers will take protected action from 6:45am to 8:15am on Tuesday. Significant delays in screening are expected as a result.
United Workers Union director Lyndal Ryan said the ball was in the court of both ISS and the decision makers at the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC).
“The officers that work diligently to keep our skies safe are not paid in accordance with their critical responsibilities,” she said.
ISS could in fact respect this work and prevent the airport disruption, but instead UWU has received reports from its members of managers engaging in threats and intimidation of workers designed to discourage their participation in the protected industrial action.
“Union members do not wish to inconvenience the traveling public, but they’ve been squeezed and pushed by ISS for too long.”
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, screeners have faced skyrocketing living costs in Brisbane yet their pay and conditions lag behind those enjoyed by their counterparts in Sydney, earning $250 less every fortnight.
The expectation put on aviation security workers is high, with officers expected to keep airport users safe and secure without disrupting the necessary flow to keep air traffic on schedule.
“As Brisbane enters a period of preparation for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic games, it is crucial that BAC has an experienced, well-trained security team. This can only be achieved if security staff are shown to be valued and rewarded with decent pay and conditions,” Ms Ryan said.
“Since ISS has shown itself to be so recalcitrant in its actions, we can only hope that the airport bosses at BAC intervene to prevent further disruptions to air travel.”
ISS has so far failed to meet the claims of the UWU bargaining team and as a result 97 per cent of UWU members voted in favour of taking protected industrial action.
Members at the airport retain their right to take further industrial action and stoppages following the strike on Tuesday.
UWU Media Contact: 1300 898 633, [email protected]