Easter flight chaos has been averted downunder in Australia after the country’s aviation firefighters postponed industrial action until after the Easter long weekend.
However, they have voted in favour of future action in a dispute with Air Services Australia, the government air traffic control body that also provides, firefighter capability at 27 of the country’s busiest airports.
United Firefighters Union of Australia Aviation Branch Secretary Wes Garrett said in a statement that the decision came after a ballot of membership returned a 90%-plus vote in favour of taking industrial action to support the inclusion of minimum international staffing levels for safety, better fatigue management, and fair pay rises for emergency workers in their workplace agreement.
“Right now some airports around Australia are not meeting the minimum international staffing standards for a safe response to a critical incident. Firefighters are short-staffed, fatigued and worried seeing Air Services Australia compromising safe staffing levels and thumbing their nose at the regulator.
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.
It added that the ballot that has just been approved would see 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.”
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