Aircraft refuellers on strike for 24-hours since 4am today have written to Qantas calling for an urgent meeting with the airline and Rivet to finalise a fair package and prevent further protected industrial action.
The TWU has also written to Qantas to demand information on its input to an emailed threat from Rivet management that if protected industrial action was to proceed then “Rivet and its customers [i.e Qantas] will be forced to consider all options available.”
Qantas has enjoyed a $1 billion half-year profit while workers refuelling Qantas planes have not received a pay increase for nearly three years.
As Rivet’s major client, accounting for at least 60% of the work, Qantas has the ability and responsibility to dictate through its contracts with labour providers that workers refuelling its planes are receiving fair pay and safe working conditions.
Rivet workers are struggling under increasing workloads and additional responsibilities while pay and conditions are going backwards.
After more than a year of negotiations without a fair solution on the table, workers have been left little choice but to exercise their rights to protected industrial action.
The 24-hour strike at Melbourne airport commenced at 4am and impacts mostly Qantas, as well as freight companies Australia Air Express & DHL and some international carriers.
.
