Airports across Australia to be thrown into chaos as Jetstar cancels a QUARTER of its flights and 250 staff prepare to strike
- The budget airline has already cancelled 48 of its 200 daily domestic flights
- 250 workers will strike at Sydney, Melbourne, Avalon, Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide
- Transport Workers’ Union demanded four per cent pay rises and more breaks
- Staff want a 12-hour break between shifts and 30 hours a week guaranteed work
- Jetstar offered workers a three per cent pay rise, but the union rejected the offer
Jetstar has cancelled one in four of its domestic flights scheduled for Wednesday as 250 workers prepare to walk off the job.
Tomorrow’s strike will affect Sydney, Melbourne, Avalon, Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide airports.
The budget airline confirmed the cancellation of 48 of its 200 daily domestic flights.
The Transport Workers’ Union is demanding a guaranteed 12-hour break between shifts, more rest breaks, a four per cent pay rise annually and a guaranteed 30 hours of work a week.
Jetstar offered workers a three per cent pay increase, but the union rejected the proposal.
The budget airline has already cancelled 48 of its 200 domestic flights scheduled for Wednesday
The Transport Workers’ Union is demanding a guaranteed 12-hour break between shifts, more rest breaks, and a four per cent pay rise annually
The airline is urging passengers to allow extra time at the airport and to expect some delays.
‘To minimise the disruption caused by the TWU action, it has been necessary to proactively cancel some of our domestic flights in Australia,’ a Jetstar statement read.
Affected flights will be delayed by a few hours from their original departure time.
‘We have developed a contingency plan that protects our customers’ travel,’ a Jetstar spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Most customers on impacted flights (are) set to travel within a few hours of their original departure time and all customers getting to their destinations same day.
‘To achieve this we have consolidated some services and moved other customers to Qantas flights where necessary.’
Any customers travelling on February 19 can also request a full refund or a no-cost change to their travel date prior to flying.
The union said the the strike was called as members felt the airline was trying ‘to force workers to accept an agreement which is even worse than the current agreement they are on’.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said Jetstar workers were united and determined to fight for their jobs and their families’ futures.
‘Jetstar workers do not take this decision lightly and we apologise to members of the public who will be unable to fly on Wednesday,’ Mr Kaine said.
‘But these workers are in the fight of their lives for a decent standard of living, to be able to put food on the table and to ensure they and their kids have a future.
Tomorrow’s strike will affect Sydney, Melbourne , Avalon, Brisbane , Cairns and Adelaide airports
‘At the moment that future is bleak.’
The union claims Jetstar is trying to force underemployment on their staff.
‘Jetstar workers are utterly baffled as to why they can’t get a guarantee for 30 hours a week when they can see that the work is there,’ Mr Kaine said.
Jetstar workers went on strike twice in December and then announced a moratorium over Christmas and New Year and during the bushfires in January.
Ninety-four per cent of Jetstar workers voted to take protected industrial action.
‘This is not a pay dispute. This is a battle against underemployment and a battle for decent jobs at the airport,’ Mr Kaine said.
‘Jetstar has broken off talks and is refusing to negotiate with its workforce.’
No international flights will be impacted by Wednesday’s strike.