A four-hour planned strike by members of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) has forced Qantas to cancel 30 domestic flights today, with 6,000 passengers to be impacted.
The strike will take place over the busy morning and afternoon peak periods, with 3,800 baggage handlers, ground staff, catering, freight and other employees to stop work, the Australian Business Traveller reported.
The strike comes as a result of what the TWU calls “continued stonewalling by Qantas management in ongoing enterprise bargaining negotiations.”
“The so-called ‘new spirit’ that Qantas has spent millions on advertising in the last three weeks hasn’t been on show during months of negotiations with Qantas management,” TWU Lead Negotiator Scott Connolly said.
“TWU members in ground crews, presentation staff and catering have been seeking certainty from management about new terms of pay, conditions and job security since the old enterprise bargaining agreement expired months ago.”
The TWU has also enacted a two-day ban, starting today, on duties involving paperwork and administration, which may affect flights until the end of the week.
Passengers due to travel on Qantas today can download a PDF of all cancelled and delayed flights, or consult the Qantas website.
