Strikes at air and sea port ‘could be national security threat’

Tomorrow’s airport strikes have been averted after the government tonight won an urgent application to stop action.

A Virgin Australia passenger plane prepares to take off at Sydney airport

Strikes at the nation’s airports have been averted tomorrow after the federal government won an urgent application in the Fair Work Commission to suspend industrial action over a threat to national security.

The industrial umpire will hear arguments on Tuesday from the government and the union, which called the strikes over its campaign against public sector pay and conditions.

The government sought the urgent order from the industrial umpire to stop nationwide airport and sea port strikes tomorrow on the grounds of a possible national security threat.

The federal government today clashed with the Community and Public Sector Union at the Fair Work Commission after seeking an injunction against the strikes by Border Force, arguing the strikes could “endanger life”.

In an unexpected application lodged late Friday under section 424 of the Fair Work Act, the Commonwealth argued that industrial action “threatened, is threatening or would threaten to endanger the life, the personal safety or health or the welfare of the population or of part of it ...”

Normally an application would be determined within five days, which would require the Fair Work Commission to make a decision on the future of the strikes by Wednesday.

“Australia faces a range of threats to its borders, which includes threats to the life, personal safety, health and welfare of travellers and the Australian community,” the AGS said in its application.

“The industrial action taken to date and planned at airports and seaports across Australia threatens to endanger the life, personal health, safety, health or welfare of the Australian population or part of it”.

However, the Australian Government Solicitor asked for an order to stop the strikes pending further hearings on the evidence on Tuesday at 10am.

The CPSU called off its rolling strikes over public service pay in the immediate wake of the Brussels terrorists bombings.

However it launched the industrial action again on Wednesday with no end date.

CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said members were “absolutely committed to the safety of our community and Australia’s national security”.

“The reality is this round of rolling strikes is no different from previous industrial action ... we’ve agreed to more than 50 exemptions for officers whose work relates to counter-terrorism and security since this industrial action began almost a year ago.”

Tomorrow’s strike at Sydney will run from 5am to 1pm and then from 4pm to midnight and in Melbourne from 4am to midday and from 4pm to midnight, at Brisbane from 5am to 1pm and from 5pm until midnight, Perth Airport (International Terminal) from 3am to 11am and 4pm to 12 midnight and Adelaide Airport from 5am to 1pm and 4pm to 12 midnight​.

There are also strikes planned for regional airports

Today’s action comes after a daylong hearing on Saturday to determine if there should be an expedited hearing today.

On its website Border Force stated “we strongly encourage airline and cruise ship passengers to plan for potential delays by arriving at international airports and cruise ship terminals even earlier.”

For more information see: http://www.border.gov.au/News/Pages/travellers-clients.aspx