Travel Delays Expected Across Australia Due To Strike

01 Jul 2015

The two hour action is expected  to  hit the international airports in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin and also at seaports. As customs as well as  immigration, public servants whose departments are about to  formally merge on Wednesday. Hence they  are planning to strike as part of their ongoing pay dispute with the Abbott government.

The Community and public union would coincide with the launch of Australian Border force; Within the immigration department, It is an single frontline operational border agency.

The CPSU National Secretary has said, Eventhough these workers were putting their lives on the lines, inorder to keep Australia safe yet the Abbott Govt has continued to push the policy that would dramatically result in a cut in their take home pay.

The stoppages due to half day strike by the customs officers at Melbourne’s international airport, will affect the arriving passengers to stand in long lines inorder to go through customers and collect their bags.

Nadine Flood, CPSU secretary said that the strike action would not threaten security.  He added, our members take their work very seriously. The particular action will not affect the safety at sea, on land, national security or counter-terrorism operations.

We would take further industrial action when it is needed and we will see that across both border protection and other commonwealth agencies.

But the govt can resolve this particular dispute at given point  and they are working to reach a sensible agreement.

Staffs at Centrelink, Medicare and other commonwealth offices have also gone on strike, but they are not included in today’s action.

In a joining statement, the customs and department of immigration have said that, it has negotiated to develop an enterprise agreement which provided best possible outcome in a challenging operational as well as fiscal environment.

The union accuses the Federal government of walking away from negotiations on a new pay deal and it says the current offer would strip many workers of allowances worth$5000 to $8000 each year.

A revised offer made, and it is waiting for a final tick of approval from the government and it would be presented to the union in July.

Michael Outram, Departmental Senior executive has said, contingency measures are in place inorder to minimize disruption, but at the same have acknowledged that delays for travelers could not be ruled out. 

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