Twelve days out from Christmas, Jetstar pilots have voted to take take industrial action this weekend after other airline staff walked off the job amid a pay and safety dispute.
It means a total of 90 flights are cancelled across the weekend, causing delays, disruptions and changes to travel plans for thousands of passengers.
Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) – a total of 80 per cent of Jetstar pilots – voted last week to take protected industrial action for the first time since the airline was founded 15 years ago.
However, the AFAP “promised it won’t be taking any action between 21 December and New Year”.
Baggage handlers and ground crews walked off the job on Friday at the major airports around Australia in two-hour blocks on Friday during the morning and afternoon peak hour.
Despite Jetstar defending it’s “robust safety management systems”, SafeWork NSW slapped Jetstar with an improvement notice on Thursday night as up to 250 staff went on strike on Friday in a pay and safety dispute.
“Ground crews are at risk to health and safety from serious injury such as being crushed, ingested or other, when working around operational aircraft,” the notice seen by AAP states.
Jetstar Melbourne Arvo Shift, united and strong! Ready for more action! #TWUProud #jetstarsolidarity pic.twitter.com/X7nlPAlDuL
— TWU Vic/Tas (@TWUVicTas) December 13, 2019
The AFAP says the union’s Jetstar pilots will undertake four-hour work stoppages on Saturday and Sunday and a range of lower-level bans from December 14 to 20.
Jetstar plans to cancel 44 services on Saturday and 46 on Sunday.
The airline’s CEO Gareth Evans said the Australian Federation of Air Pilots were demanding a 15 per cent pay rise.
The AFAP says the union claim equates to a 3 per cent rise a year.
“We have agreed to a 3% increase in salary. All of our other conditions have been funded with productivity offsets,” the AFAP wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
The pilots’ action comes after baggage handlers and ground staff stopped work on Friday at Sydney Airport, Melbourne’s Tullamarine and Avalon airports, and in Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide.
The budget airline rejected workers’ demands for pay increases, minimum hours on the job and safety improvements.
Jetstar strike Sydney airport round 2 ✊#jetstarsolidarity @TWUAus pic.twitter.com/oMl3sQBnSG
— Jack Boutros (@jackboutros1) December 13, 2019
Jetstar said the disruption had not badly affected flights on Friday because they had minimised fallout by cancelling 30 services in advance.
Workers who walked off the job on Friday have pledged to do it again next Thursday should their demands not be met.
The company says customers travelling from December 13 to December 20 can request a full refund prior to flying.
-with AAP
The post Jetstar pilots take industrial action 12 days before Christmas appeared first on The New Daily.
**Business and Marketing support on best price; Hit the link now----> http://bit.ly/2HsQmSi