Jetstar faces strike action from baggage handlers, ground crew

Strikes by Jetstar pilots and ground crew could see the airline grounded if there’s a significant impact on passengers.

2 min read

6:13PMDecember 06, 2019

TWU workers will take strike action against Jetstar in the coming weeks.

Jetstar pilots will stop work for four-hours at a time next weekend in a round of industrial action that could see the low fares carrier grounded.

Protected action ballots by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots and the Transport Workers Union were returned on Friday with more than 90 per cent support for strikes over stalled enterprise bargaining negotiations.

Pilots will kick off the industrial action with a “limited number of four-hour work stoppages” on the weekend of December 14 and 15, coinciding with the official start of school holidays.

They are seeking an immediate 15 per cent pay rise, while baggage handlers and ground crew want a guaranteed 30-hours of work a week, plus more rest breaks and wage increases.

Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans said the announcement of industrial action over the busiest time of the year for the airline was “extremely disappointing”.

“We’re working through contingency plans, but clearly, if the pilots take significant industrial action we won’t be able to cover all that,” Mr Evans said.

“We’re absolutely focused on minimising the disruption to passengers, but if passengers are disrupted by more than three hours we will offer a refund.”

He said he “absolutely hoped” the situation did not escalate to a point where Jetstar was forced to ground its fleet, like parent company Qantas did in 2011.

“We’re absolutely committed to reaching an agreement with unions that recognise the great work that our people do, but not at any cost,” said Mr Evans.

Although pilots said they would not strike during the Christmas-New Year period, action was expected in the period before and after.

Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans said the announcement of industrial action over the busiest time of the year for the airline was “extremely disappointing”. Picture: iStock

AFAP executive director Simon Lutton said the union remained “committed to reaching an agreement and was disappointed to have to take this action”.

The large pay increase sought by Jetstar pilots was intended to ensure they were no longer the “lowest paid” pilots of the big four airlines in Australia.

Mr Evans said it was true their base pay was lower than that of low cost carrier Tigerair but he argued that it was not a “fair comparison”.

“Tiger has made money once in the whole time it’s been in the Australian market. It lost $45m last year and it’s shrinking its fleet from 15 to 13 aircraft,” he said.

“In the last two weeks we’ve had 28 (Tiger) pilots apply to Jetstar so we don’t think it’s appropriate to compare us to an airline in that situation.”

Baggage handlers and ground crew employed by Jetstar in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Avalon, Cairns and Adelaide could stop work from as early as next Thursday but any impact on passengers would be minimal, Mr Evans said.

TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said their members were angry the airline had rejected their basic demands for more hours and better conditions.

“Jetstar forces its workers on to part-time hours, some are guaranteed no more than 20 hours a week,” Mr Kaine said.

“The rates are low and families are struggling. Jetstar workers took a pay freeze in recent years and they expected the company to treat them fairly now they are earning bumper profits. Disappointingly Jetstar have rejected the vast majority of the workers’ demands outright.”