Nationwide disruption of air travel across Australia over the busy Easter break has been narrowly averted after aviation firefighters pledged to postpone planned industrial action until after the long weekend.
Future strikes, however, appear likely.
The Aviation Branch of the United Firefighters Union Australia said on Tuesday more than 90% of union members had voted for industrial action, putting airport fire crews on a collision course with employer and airport operator Airservices Australia and airlines.
The dispute centres around pay and staffing levels and is part of the broader public service bargaining round that also ropes in a swag of non-Australian Public Service federal entities and entities, such as Airservices and the Australian Federal Police, that are tied to the government’s public sector bargaining policy.
The policy, which is enforced by the Australian Public Service Commission, means many federal employers whose pay increases are made by way of a determination are stuck with pay deals struck under so-called service-wide bargaining.
The pay rise offer accepted by the Community and Public Sector Union was for 11.2% over three years and forms the basis of the amount now being offered to other unions.
“Right now some airports around Australia are not meeting the minimum international staffing standards for a safe response to a critical incident,” said United Firefighters Union of Australia Aviation branch secretary Wes Garrett.
“Firefighters are short-staffed, fatigued and worried seeing Air Services Australia compromising safe staffing levels and thumbing their nose at the regulator.
“We recognise that industrial action at any time in aviation is disruptive. Sadly it is necessary to bring Airservices Australia to the table.”
Garrett said airlines will have seven days’ notice to reschedule or cancel flights in the event of industrial action, adding “we hope it does not come to this”.
However, Airservices has hit back at the firefighters’ union, saying it offered the 11.2% pay rise as far back as October 2023.
“This threatened action in pursuit of a 20% pay rise has nothing to do with staffing levels,” Airservices Australia chief executive Jason Harfield told The Mandarin.
“We have sufficient aviation rescue firefighters to meet our operational requirements, which are monitored and regulated by CASA as the aviation safety regulator.
“The UFUA is now seeking to disrupt Australians’ Easter holiday plans, including by instructing their members to conduct a go-slow in not guaranteeing response times, or even delaying their response to emergency situations involving the travelling public beyond the three-minute maximum required by safety regulations.”
Harfield said Airservices would work with the airlines and airports to maintain safe operations and to minimise disruptions to flights as a result of the threatened industrial action.
“We will continue to seek a resolution with the UFUA to deliver a fair outcome for our ARFF crews that avoids disruption to industry stakeholders and the travelling public.”
It is understood Qantas will outline its position once specific protected actions are declared.
Bargaining continues.
