Jetstar passengers get Christmas breather from strikes

Jetstar passengers will get a breather over the Christmas break after ground workers joined pilots in declaring a Yuletide moratorium. The airline expected to cancel about 28 flights Thursday after work stoppages at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns and Avalon over what the union representing baggage handlers and ramp workers describes as “poverty wages”. The Transport Workers’ Union says the workers have not had a wage rise for 18 months and the company has rejected their pay claim as well as a push for 30 hours of guaranteed work per week, more rest breaks and 12 hours between shifts. READ: CASA says Jetstar ground operations meet aviation safety rules. The union said workers had called the moratorium on strike action to allow people to travel home for Christmas. “Workers today have decided to call off strikes over poverty wages to allow people to travel home for Christmas and be with their families,’’ TWU national secretary Michel Kaine said. “We appeal to Jetstar to offer some similar goodwill to its workforce and to meet their modest wage and safety claims. “We can resolve this dispute if Jetstar comes to the table and shows us they are willing to address serious worker concerns.’’ The company argues the TWU claims for baggage and ramp workers amount to 12 percent increase in costs for Jetstar ground crew who earn about $A70,000 annually on a part-time basis and $A90,000 a year on a full-time basis. However, the TWU says the average guaranteed pay of a baggage and ramp worker is  $A650 per week and the pay dispute could be fixed by paying ground workers an additional  90 cents per hour. The low-cost carrier is also facing action from the Australian Federation of Air Pilots but the pilots decided not to strike over the Christmas week.