Australian travellers face Easter flight disruptions with the country’s aviation firefighters threatening industrial action.
Members of the United Firefighters Union – Aviation Branch will vote today on a range of protected industrial actions, several of which hold the potential to heavily impact flight schedules across Australia’s airports.
If aviation firefighters approve the actions, work stoppages could begin as soon as Thursday, March 28.
The union alleges that Airservices’ Australia, has refused to act over “short staffing and fatigue”.
However, Airservices suggests the issue is more about pay.
In a statement, it said: “Airservices Australia is currently in Enterprise Agreement (EA) negotiations with our Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting service (ARFF) employees and their representatives, the United Firefighters Union of Australia – Aviation Branch (UFUAV).
“As part of negotiations which commenced in September, Airservices has offered a $32 million pay rise comprising 11.2 per cent over three years in line with the Australian Public Service Commission’s recent pay decision, as well as the retention of all current conditions.
“The UFUAV is now planning to hold a ballot of members seeking approval for a campaign of industrial action in support of a number of claims that would cost an additional $128 million, including a pay increase of 20 per cent.”
Some of the actions proposed include:
• 3-hour windows where Aviation Rescue Firefighting Services (ARFFS) will be unavailable to respond to aircraft emergency incidents
• Work stoppages varying in duration from 4 hours to full shifts
• Bans on working the working of overtime.
Wes Garrett, United Firefighters Union – Aviation Branch Secretary, claims that “domestic and international flights are taking off and landing without the required number of aviation firefighters and trucks to protect that aircraft’s size and passenger capacity.
“To cover staff shortages, current aviation firefighters are working unsustainable amounts of overtime to fill the gaps, resulting in massive fatigue. This is unsafe for firefighters and the air travellers they seek to protect.
“To address this significant safety problem, aviation firefighters are seeking to add minimum staffing clauses to their employment agreement that would guarantee sufficient numbers of firefighters and trucks on duty to protect air travellers as per international aviation safety law,” Mr Garrett said.
He added that airlines would be given a sufficient period of notice to reschedule flights.
“If aviation firefighters support industrial action and the United Firefighters Union chooses to proceed with stoppages, Airlines will have seven days’ notice to reschedule or cancel flights during these periods.
Airservices said it will take all available steps to minimise disruptions to flights as a result of industrial action and will work with airlines and airports to maintain safe operations.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulates Airservices provision of Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting services for all international and domestic flights.
It added that “we have sufficient ARFF services staff to meet our operational requirements, and we are continuing to recruit to ensure that service is maintained in the future.”
Airservices has employed more than 115 full-time aviation rescue fire fighters since 2022.
Airservices said that it “continues to invest in its ARFF capability, including in its numbers of aviation rescue fire fighters. Currently, Airservices employs more than 830 aviation rescue fire fighters with an additional 48 expected to join the service in 2024 to cater for the continued growth of aviation in Australia.”
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