Strikes by security and Qantas staff hit multiple Australian airports

About 400 Certis security workers walked off the job for two hours at Sydney Airport on the morning of Sept. 24 amid stalled pay talks. Another two-hour stoppage was planned for 18:00 the same day, and a three-hour strike was set for Sept. 28, the first day of school holidays. Separately, Qantas ground and freight workers began a 24-hour strike across Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth airports, involving Qantas Ground Services, Australian air Express freight operations and QantasLink. Sydney Airport advised passengers to arrive early and monitor airline updates. TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said strike action is always a last resort, but we are literally seeing workers maimed and killed keeping these critical services going. NSW TWU secretary Richard Olsen said the union had negotiated for months with Certis over better pay and conditions. Certis said it was committed to constructive negotiations and that staff pay and conditions significantly exceed the industry award. Qantas said it had contingency plans, did not expect disruptions for customers, and that the striking workers do not service Qantas Domestic, Qantas International or QantasLink flights outside Sydney. A court ordered Qantas to pay A$90 million over the illegal outsourcing of more than 1,800 ground jobs during COVID-19.