Airport chaos is averted as thousands of workers call off their 24-hour strike threat after scoring massive pay rise
- Travellers have been spared chaotic scenes after the union made a deal
- Dnata Australia ground crew will get a 17 per cent wage increase over four years
- TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said it’s ‘a relief for hardworking families’
- It comes after months of lengthy queues and cancelled flights for travellers
Impending airport chaos has been averted just a few days before it was supposed to begin after ground handling crews struck a pay deal with their bosses.
Baggage handlers and ground crew employed by the Emirates-owned Dnata abandoned their plan for protected industrial action, with workers planning to walk off the job for 24 hours on Monday.
Dnata provides ground services for 30 airlines including Qantas, Emirates, Etihad and Singapore Airlines and has more than 17,000 workers across Australia.
The deal with the union means travellers flying with those airlines avoid any potential disruption next week.
The 17 per cent pay rise, occurring over four years, includes a 12.6 per cent increase in back pay and gives workers better job security.
Travellers will face less disruptions on Monday after baggage and ground crew workers clinched the massive pay rise of 17 per cent over four years (pictured, travellers in Sydney)
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said ‘overworked’ ground staff have waited two years for a fair deal (pictured, Mr Kaine talking to the media earlier this year)
Mr Kaine said ‘it’s a relief for hardworking families that last resort strike action is no longer necessary.’ (pictured, a baggage handler on the ground)
Transport Workers Union National Secretary Michael Kaine said Dnata workers had waited two years to strike the deal for better financial security.
‘Overworked ground staff needed a fair deal that would sustain them and their families so that they could remain in the industry. By standing strong together they achieved it,’ Mr Kaine said.
‘It’s a relief for hardworking families that last resort strike action is no longer necessary.’
Dnata Australia said the agreement would ‘further enhance its highly competitive compensation packages’.
‘Despite a challenging business environment, we were offering our staff a highly competitive wage outcome throughout the negotiations,’ Dnata Australia CEO Burt Sigsworth said.
‘I thank each Dnata employee for their hard work, loyalty and relentless commitment to Dnata and our customers in these challenging times.’
The TWU is also about to seal a deal with Menzies, a Sydney-based ground handler service – before workers vote on industrial action.
The news comes after passengers across the country have put up with lengthy queues, repeated cancelled flights and nightmare waiting times over the phone to airlines for months.
Dnata Australia (pictured), which has 1,700 employees in Australia, said the agreement will ‘further enhance its highly competitive compensation packages’
Dnata said it had been offering their staff a ‘highly competitive wage outcome throughout the negotiations’ (pictured, ground crew in Sydney)
Meanwhile, more than 200 passengers on a peak hour Qantas flight were led under heavy police guard to be re-screened after a person managed to get past security in scenes a flight attendant said they’d never seen in 20 years flying.
Flight QF487 departed Sydney at around 7 pm on Wednesday, landing in Melbourne just after 8.30 pm – but those onboard were told they could not disembark.
After landing at Tullamarine, the captain immediately announced a person on the flight had somehow slipped through security at Sydney Airport and that everyone would need to be re-screened.
AFP and Victoria Police escorted the group through the airport in Melbourne’s north-west to the security gates, where they were scanned before being allowed to leave.
More than 200 passengers on a peak hour Qantas flight (pictured) were led under heavy police guard to be re-screened after a person managed to get past security
It’s not known how the passenger could skip the security check-in Sydney, but it raises significant concerns for the safety of the airport and its flights.
The more than 200 people who landed in Melbourne on Wednesday evening were told they had to immediately move through to security under heavy police guard – and were not even allowed to use the toilets.
Confused passengers were told they must have their bags checked for a second time by staff at the airport.
They were all put through security alongside other people checking in for flights before being told they could leave – with little to no explanation from Qantas or airport employees.
A flight attendant said they’d never experienced the situation in two decades working in the industry.
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