Australia hit by travel delays
27 June 2015 by News DeskAir and sea travellers in Australia can expect delays and disruptions next week during a strike by customs and immigration workers.
Immigration staff at airports and seaports have called a two-hour strike following an industrial dispute over pay and conditions. The strike will start at 9am on 1 July and is timed to coincide with the introduction of the government’s new border force agency which launches on the same day.
Air travellers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Cairns and Darwin will be most affected, along with users of major seaports.
A number of public service departments including Centrelink, the Tax Office, Medicare, the departments of defence, human services and agriculture and bureaux of meteorology and statistics, have voted to take industrial action as a result of failed pay negotiations.
Wednesday 1 July sees the start of the federal government’s new agency, the Australian Border Force that will merge and combine customs and border control operations.