School holidays travel threat
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Travellers over the Easter school holiday are facing disruptions after the United Firefighters Association Aviation Branch announced plans to take protected industrial action during the period.
The move is part of an ongoing dispute with government air traffic control provider Airservices for a 20 per cent pay rise.
According to Airservices, which also looks after firefighting services at 27 airports, protected industrial action will start on April 5 and include an indefinite ban on overtime.
This has the potential to disrupt aircraft operations at airports across Australia.
Airservices says it has offered ARFF crews an 11.2 per cent pay rise over three years, with no change in conditions.
However, the UFUAV is demanding a 20 per cent pay rise as part of a range of claims that in total would cost the aviation industry and their passengers an additional $128 million.
“In line with recommendations from the Fair Work Commission, Airservices was prepared to hold further meetings with the union to seek a resolution to the dispute without the looming threat of industrial action. However, the UFUAV has refused,” Airservices said in a statement.
The air traffic control provider also said the union had threatened to instruct their members to conduct a go-slow in not guaranteeing response times, or even delaying their response to emergency situations involving the travelling public beyond the three-minute maximum required by safety regulations.
“It is disappointing that the UFUAV is continuing to put thousands of Australians’ safety at risk over the Easter school holiday period in their campaign for a twenty per cent pay increase,” Airservices Australia CEO Jason Harfield said.
“This disruptive campaign has nothing to do with staffing levels, which are monitored and regulated by CASA as the aviation safety regulator.”
Airservices said it would work with the airlines and airports to maintain safe operations and minimise any impact on the travelling public as a result of industrial action.