Ground crew workers employed by Dubai National Air Travel Agency聽(dnata) have called off a strike planned at Australian airports for September 12, after a new collective agreement was agreed in principle.
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) said on September 8 that its members聽had successfully rebutted attempts to scale back overtime entitlements, while locking in job security provisions and a 17% pay rise over four years in a new enterprise agreement (EA).
鈥渄nata workers will have a more secure future, achieving greater opportunities for part-timers to convert to full-time roles, and casuals to permanent,鈥 .
It said dnata聽agreed to 鈥渋mprove consultation, giving workers a say over changes before they鈥檙e decided鈥.
With back pay, workers will have an immediate pay rise of 12.6%, with a further 4.6% in 2023.
TWU聽national secretary Michael Kaine told a聽TWU聽Queensland state delegates鈥 conference that overworked ground staff 鈥渘eeded a fair deal鈥 so that they could remain in the industry.
He said dnata workers, denied JobKeeper, have experienced two years of turmoil.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e thrilled to have locked in greater financial security and the possibility of converting casual and part-time roles to secure, full-time positions.
鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 be so hard for workers to achieve pay increases above bare minimums and job security,鈥 Kaine said.
鈥淚n Qantas鈥 supply chain, workers have had to take on a corporate dictatorship, squeezing pay and conditions through commercial pressures after Qantas management illegally outsourced work.鈥
Kaine said chaos at airports would continue 鈥渦ntil we regain the levels of training and experience the industry has lost鈥.
Qantas led the charge in gutting its workforce, and the Coalition government sent more experienced workers packing by denying them the wage subsidy lifeline.
Kaine said aviation needed to ensure good, safe and secure jobs are prioritised ahead of overpaid executives making decisions to line their own pockets. He said federal Labor needed to establish a 鈥渟afe and secure skies commission鈥 to deliver 鈥渜uality service standards鈥.