Airport firefighters are set to strike over the Australian Public Service Commission’s blanket public service pay deal.
A union ballot for proposed protected industrial action opened this week, as an increasing number of unions representing government agencies outside the Australian Public Service who don’t get flexible work conditions are contesting their pay deals.
The Aviation Branch of the United Firefighters Union is set to walk out over the Australian Public Service-wide (APS) pay deal that also ropes in non-APS agencies and federal firies to a raft of uniformed and trade employee representatives who are already striking or preparing to take action.
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU), Construction Forestry and Maritime Union (CFMEU) and Australian Manufacturers Workers’ Union (AMWU) have all secured approval for strikes, with the Australian Federal Police Association set to follow across the federal bureaucracy to contest APS pay.
A major flashpoint is the trade-off on pay rises against new flexible work conditions, where workers required on-site or in the field can’t access new rights like working from home but still cop the same pay as federal employees who can.
Employer stakeholders like the Australian Industry Group have also called out the disparity.
Wes Garrett, the Aviation Branch secretary of the United Firefighters Union, said his union’s strike ballot was triggered by “Airservices Australia’s refusal to agree to minimum staffing clauses that would protect air travellers’ safety, reduce unsustainable firefighter fatigue and ensure Airservices Australia’s compliance with directives issued by the minister for transport and aviation safety laws.
The UFU says it is putting safety first.
“At airports across Australia, domestic and international flights have been taking off and landing without the required number of aviation firefighters and trucks to protect that aircraft’s size and passenger capacity,” said Garrett.
“In some cases, flights operated with no aviation firefighters on duty, particularly at regional airports such as the Sunshine Coast and Launceston. when flights were delayed into the early morning hours.
However, employer Airservices Australia countered that it was “disappointed the union is seeking to undertake industrial action after months of negotiation during which Airservices has offered the maximum pay rise allowable under the Australian Public Service Commission’s recent pay decision.”
“Our priority is to ensure the safe and efficient continuation of our services to keep Australian aviation moving. Accordingly, Airservices will take all available steps to prevent disruptions to flights as a result of industrial action, and work with industry stakeholders to minimise any impact for the travelling public.”
The UFU is undeterred.
“At airports across Australia, domestic and international flights have been taking off and landing without the required number of aviation firefighters and trucks to protect that aircraft’s size and passenger capacity,” Garrett said.
“In some cases, flights operated with no aviation firefighters on duty, particularly at regional airports such as the Sunshine Coast and Launceston, when flights were delayed into the early morning hours.
“At other locations, such as the Gold Coast airport, large international flights carrying up to 365 passengers did not have the aviation firefighter protection required under international aviation safety law.”
Garrett said the UFU was seeking to address significant safety problems by seeking to add minimum staffing clauses to their employment agreement that would “guarantee there were sufficient numbers of firefighters and trucks on duty to protect air travellers in accordance with international aviation safety law.”
Airservices reckons it’s fronted a good deal.
“As part of negotiations which commenced in September, Airservices has offered a pay rise of 11.2% over three years, adopted all enhancements included in the Australian Public Service bargaining common conditions, and has not sought to remove or reduce any current conditions,” a spokesman said.
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