Plane refuellers at Melbourne Airport have called a 24-hour strike for Wednesday (8 March) in a move that could cause headaches for travellers passing through the hub.
Rivet workers will proceed with industrial action if there is no solution to what they say is a disparity between pay and conditions and an increase in workload and responsibilities.
Set to commence at 4am on Wednesday, the strike will impact Qantas international, domestic and QLink flights, some international carriers, and Australia Air Express and DHL freight services.
According to the Transport Workers Union (TWU), Qantas accounts for roughly 60 per cent of Rivet’s refuelling work.
It says workers were locked in talks with Rivet for a year and now have little choice but to strike to bring the company back to the negotiating table.
“For a year, Rivet refuellers have tried to reach a fair agreement but have instead been faced with base wage freezes which impact their pay now and long into the future,” TWU Vic/Tas Assistant Branch Secretary Mem Suleyman said.
“In the current cost-of-living crisis it is unacceptable to expect workers to pick up extra responsibilities and work harder, faster and longer to make ends meet.”
“Pushed to the limit”
Suleyman said disruptions to flights out of Melbourne Airport could still be avoided with better recognition of workers.
“These are workers in one of the most dangerous jobs in the airport, yet they are being pushed to the limit while pay and conditions fail to attract more workers to share the load,” he added.
“Although protected industrial action is always a last resort, these workers know it is the only option left to bring the company to a fair agreement.
“Aviation was decimated throughout the pandemic, but Alan Joyce is now gloating about a $1 billion half-year profit while overworked aviation workers getting Qantas planes refuelled and into the air are struggling under the pressure.”
“Rebuilding the aviation industry is going to require more investment in good, secure jobs, not executive bonuses or shareholder dividends at an airline wielding huge commercial power across our airports.
“That’s why we need a Safe and Secure Skies Commission to rebalance our airports, make decisions in the public interest and stabilise the industry.”
