[Archive Home][Date Prev][Date Next][Index]
CAA: Airport News, "Australian airport strike may spread nationally"
Monday, January 17, 2000
Airport strike may spread nationally
By MALCOLM BROWN
Sydney Morning Herald
A strike by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) which has stranded almost
5,000 passengers and hit Ansett operations at Hobart and Launceston airports
may extend nationally if last-minute negotiations fail.
The dispute, over the retrenchment of more than 20 baggage handlers at
Launceston, effective from midnight last night, will be brought before the
Australian Industrial Relations Commission at midday today.
But the Federal secretary of the TWU, Mr John Allan, said that if Ansett
took action against any TWU members, who went on strike indefinitely at both
airports at midnight on Friday, the dispute may go national.
"What has happened at Launceston is an act of bastardry by the airline," he
said. "At this stage, our action is limited to the Tasmanian operations, but
it would be foolish for the airline to take action against any of our
members."
Because of the strike, no Ansett or Kendell Airlines - Ansett's wholly owned
subsidiary - services were allowed into or out of Hobart or Launceston
airports. Alternative arrangements, including accommodation and ferry
transport, were arranged for passengers yesterday.
Ansett, in a media release, said it had lodged an application to appear
before the Industrial Relations Commission.
It said reports that it had "sacked" baggage handlers at Launceston were
untrue. Ansett had given notice since September 1998 that it was going to
withdraw services from Launceston and most services from Hobart as part of a
strategy to reduce heavy losses on south-east regional routes.
Kendell had decided to offer more frequent services with new jet aircraft,
which were suited to shorter routes.
"Ansett has had ongoing discussions with the TWU since before the
announcement and is extremely disappointed that the TWU claims they have not
been consulted and have taken industrial action," the statement said.
"Ansett has paid significant redundancy packages to these employees and has
assisted employees, where possible, to find other jobs.
"The vast majority of the Launceston staff have already arranged other
employment."
Mr Allan said yesterday: "Ansett have not arranged for jobs.
"The situation is that the contractors who have been awarded work by Kendell
Airlines have a certified State agreement for Tasmania which involves wages
and conditions far less than airline industry standards."
He said another 25 baggage handlers at Hobart were to be made redundant.
"We have no difficulty with the redundancy packages themselves but we don't
want them terminated at all," he said.
"Jobs are scarce enough as it is."
*****************************************
California Aviation Alliance: Airport News List E-mail Commands
To subscribe to the Airport News List, send an email, from the email account you wish to receive your posts on, addressed to listserv@californiaaviation.org and place the following in the first line of the body of the message:
Subscribe airport YourFirstName YourLastName YourJobTitle YourAirport/Company
To unsubscribe from the Airport News List, send an email, from the email account you have been receiving your posts on, addressed to listserv@californiaaviation.org and place the following in the first line of the body of the message:
Unsubscribe airport YourFirstName YourLastName
To change your subscription to receive a digest of messages sent to this list:
TO: listserv@californiaaviation.org
Subject: [leave empty]
set mode digest airport
For questions concerning this list, e-mail stepheni@cwnet.com or visit http://www.californiaaviation.org/serv01.htm