Melbourne Airport: Airservices Australia, United Firefighters Union avoid strike action

It appears travel chaos tipped to kick off at Melbourne Airport on Friday has been averted after two warring parties came to an agreement.

Travellers can breathe a sigh of relief after strike action that threatened to throw travel plans into chaos at Melbourne Airport on Friday was scrapped.

Aviation firefighters were planning to walk off the job between 6am and 10am over working conditions and staff shortages.

However, the United Firefighters Union — Aviation Branch and Airservices Australia have struck an in-principle agreement.

“Our campaign has always been about protecting the safety of Australia’s air travellers,” UFU aviation secretary Wes Garrett said.

“Every time your loved ones and friends board an aircraft in Australia, they deserve fully staffed aviation firefighters to be there to protect them when they need it most.”

Airservices Australia chief executive Jason Harfield confirmed the deal.

“This new agreement provides certainty for our ARFFs workforce, airlines, and the travelling public. We commend all involved in reaching this new agreement,” Mr Harfield said.

It comes after Airservices Australia cut 100 aviation firefighters in October last year, which the union blamed for causing “chronic understaffing”.

The new agreement will boost the number of aviation firefighters over the coming years as well as providing a 4.9 per cent pay rise.

Mr Garrett said the increased staffing would eventually bring Australia in line with international aviation regulations.

“For over a year, that’s what we’ve been campaigning to achieve, and that’s what we hope this in-principle agreement will deliver,” Mr Garrett said.

“The United Firefighters Union – Aviation Branch will hold Airservices to account to ensure they remedy this aviation firefighter shortage as quickly as possible.”

The union confirmed that while the strike was cancelled, the agreement still needed to go to members for a ballot.