Travel to Australia: Border Force strike
26 September 2016 by News DeskTravel to Australia will be affected at international airports, cruise ship terminals and cargo facilities.
Travel to Australia thru main airports and shipping ports will be hit by a series of 30-minute strikes by Immigration and Border Force staff who are not saying when and where each strike will take place.
Immigration and Border Force staff say the rolling stoppages are the result of a long-running dispute with the Federal Government over pay and conditions.
The dispute has not been helped by the governments’ lack of dialogue, says Nadine Flood of the Community and Public Sector Union.
“Workers are trying to get government to take this seriously and to sit down and resolve this long standing mess. Under Prime Minister Turnbull they haven’t talked to us in a year.”
Travel to Australia: Border Force strike
With delays expected to hit travellers over the next 14 days additional staff have been allocated at Sydney airport.
Passengers departing on international flights have been advised to arrive early for flights.
The Border Force says that contingency arrangements will be in place to minimise the impact of stoppages on business operations.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection said the strike action is bound to limit monitoring of threats and risks at the border.
The union is seeking a 12.5 per cent pay rise, a demand that officials say would lead to the loss of 10,000 public sector jobs, a reduction in services or higher taxes.
The strike comes despite the fact government officials were due to meet this week to enter negotiations with department staff over a new wage deal.
“The strike action flies in the face of this bargaining process and represents an unreasonable and unwarranted escalation at a time the department is looking to find consensus,” a statement said.
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