Qantas faces 24-hour strike across four major airports
- Ground workers at Qantas have launched a 24-hour strike across Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth airports over pay and safety conditions.
- Up to 400 safety screeners in Sydney joined the action with two-hour stoppages, alongside planned future action on Sept. 28.
- The Transport Workers' Union stated the action aims to secure industry-standard pay, more full-time roles, and a unified workforce structure.
Ground staff at Qantas (ASX:QAN) launched a 24-hour strike across four major Australian airports on Sept. 24 to demand higher pay, improved safety standards, and greater job security.
The industrial action follows years of friction between the airline and its workforce over operational cost-cutting and employment arrangements.
"Strike action is always a last resort, but we are literally seeing workers maimed and killed keeping these critical services going," said Transport Workers' Union National Secretary Michael Kaine.
The strike involves employees across Qantas Ground Services, Australian Air Express freight operations, and regional carrier QantasLink, alongside up to 400 Sydney safety screeners conducting two-hour work stoppages.
Following the announcement, the Qantas share price was unchanged at $9.02.
The union criticised the airline's use of multiple corporate subsidiaries, stating the structure fragments the workforce and weakens workplace safety standards.
The current dispute follows a court ruling last year ordering the airline to pay a record $90 million fine for illegally outsourcing more than 1,800 ground handling jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
