Strike action looming at already chaotic airports

Chaos and queuing at Australian airports is set to get worse with ground handlers now threatening industrial action at major gateways.

Chaos and queues plaguing the aviation industry are set to get worse, as ground crews at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports take the first steps to industrial ­action.

Baggage handlers with the Emirates-owned Dnata will apply to the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday for a vote on strike action over what they say are attempts to push through an unpalatable new agreement.

The potential strike could derail baggage handling for thousands of customers and up to 20 airlines, including Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Ethiad and Air ­Canada.

The move comes as new figures rank Australian airports among the worst in the world for delays and cancellations, and flight ­attendants say they are being verbally abused by travellers.

Of 665 airports ranked on their on-time performance by aviation analytics firm OAG, Melbourne finished 631st and Sydney 597th.

In comparison, London Heathrow ranked 642nd, Amsterdam Schiphol 658th and Los Angeles International 431st.

The results coincided with yet another day of mayhem at Sydney Airport, with heavy fog and a faulty x-ray machine contributing to a massive queue out of the Virgin, Jetstar and Rex terminal.

More than 10 flights were cancelled and dozens more delayed, prompting an apology from an airport spokeswoman. “We’re sorry about the queues and are working with airlines to get everyone on their way,” she said.

The ongoing issues confronting air travellers were taking their toll on frontline workers, with the Flight Attendants Association of Australia calling for stronger laws to protect members.

FAAA national secretary Teri O’Toole said cabin crew were deeply anxious about going to work due to flight disruptions and increasingly abusive passengers.

“Crew don’t know when they’ll be home to their families because of all the delayed and cancelled flights, and on top of it all they’re copping remarks like ‘Thanks for nothing’ at the door,” she said.

“It’s difficult to hear when the cabin crew aren’t responsible for what’s happening – they’re not in a position of power.”

The abuse was across Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, all of which had struggled with poor on-time performance as flying returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The problem of mishandled bags was also having a knock-on effect, with passengers now simply bringing all of their luggage on board flights.

“No one wants to check their bag in, for fear of losing it or having to wait an hour and a half at the carousel,” said Ms O’Toole.

Queues extending outside the main terminals at Sydney airport.

“That’s only adding to the flight delays while everyone tries to find room for all the carry-on.”

The FAAA was encouraging members to report issues, as Ms O’Toole lobbied for psychosocial injuries to be incorporated into workplace health and safety laws.

There appeared to be no end in sight to flight disruption, with the threat of industrial action by Dnata ground crews coming at the same time as Qantas engineers voted on 12-hour strikes.

A ballot of Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers of Australia members was due to close on Aug­ust 10, with results to be known soon after.

Numerous airlines stood to be affected by any action by Dnata ground crews, as well as Qantas, which outsourced its ground handling operations at the height of the pandemic.

A Qantas spokesman said it was “appalling behaviour” by the Transport Workers Union representing the Dnata employees.

“Dnata handles up to 20 airlines that fly into Australia, and this is going to disrupt thousands of people wanting to go on holidays and visit family and friends,” said the spokesman.

A Melbourne Airport spokesman said staff shortages in ground handling was an ongoing issue, contributing to flight delays in the domestic and international space.

The airport ranked the worst of Australia’s international gateways for on-time performance in June, with fewer than half the scheduled flights getting away on time, and more than 8 per cent of services cancelled.

Australian Airports Association chief executive James Goodwin said many issues affecting the country’s gateways could be attributed to government decisions made during the pandemic, including excluding ground handling companies and council-owned airports from the JobKeeper scheme, which had forced many workers out of the industry. He said a streamlined process for airport security clearances would help, with the process taking as long as eight weeks, slowing down recruitment. “It’s not like a supermarket or cafe,” he said.

Originally published as Strike action looming at already chaotic airports