Christmas pain as Jetstar faces more strikes

Almost 100 Jetstar flights were cancelled over the weekend, with more expected on Thursday.

Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans has dismissed the union’s industrial claims as unsustainable. Picture: AAP

Jetstar passengers face more cancellations and disruption in the lead-up to the peak Christmas travel period as the Transport Workers Union warns of further industrial action beyond stoppages planned this week.

Almost 100 Jetstar flights were cancelled over the weekend due to industrial action by pilots and the low-fare carrier expects more cancellations on Thursday — six days before Christmas — when ground crew and baggage handlers embark on more stoppages.

TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said he expected members to back more industrial action after Thursday and it was “just a question of when” given Jetstar Group chief executive Gareth Evans was dismissing the union’s industrial claims as unsustainable.

“The workers will decide on Thursday whether there will be further stoppages and when those stoppages will be,” Mr Kaine told The Australian.

“It’s serious enough to take industrial action at any time of the year ... but if we had taken action in early January, they would have said we are disrupting New Year’s travellers. If we had taken action later, they would have said Australia Day then Valentines Day then Easter (was being disrupted).

“I know (the workers) want to get their message across ... they don’t want to unnecessarily agitate the general public. It will be in their hands when the next stoppage will occur, but at the moment given the strength of feeling on the ground, there will be further stoppages, it’s just a question of when.”

Baggage handlers and ramp staff represented by the TWU are seeking more rest breaks, a guaranteed 12-hour break between shifts, guaranteed 30 hours a week and annual wage increases of 4 per cent.

Mr Kaine said the union was gravely concerned that SafeWork NSW on Thursday issued a notice that found inadequate workplace safety procedures had left ground crew at Sydney airport at risk of serious injury “such as being crushed” when working around operational aircraft.

A Jetstar spokeswoman said the company was working around the clock to minimise any disruption caused by the TWU action on Thursday, which followed action by the union last Friday.

“On Friday, more than 90 per cent of our services got away as planned and we expect the same on Thursday,” the spokeswoman said.

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots has said no industrial action would be taken by pilots from December 21 to January 3 in the hope Jetstar would reschedule meetings.

Mr Evans said the claim by the pilots equated to a 15 per cent pay rise in one year. “Captains earn over $300,000 a year,” he said. “They work 30 per cent less than the average Australian and that level of pay rise simply isn’t sustainable.”

He said Jetstar was offering a 3 cent pay rise and was prepared to increase the amount in exchange for trade-offs but the union had to call off further action and return to the negotiations.

He said accepting the union’s “unsustainable” pay demands would jeopardise the company’s business model that had delivered low fares to passengers.

“We want to get to an agreement but not at any cost and if we agreed to the cost increases from the AFAP and from the TWU that would put an unbelievable pressure on our business model. It would put unsustainable upward pressure on low fares which is the heart of what we do,” he said.