Scenes of airport chaos and delays like those seen in June could be experienced once again next week by travellers in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.
About 350 staff contracted to Qantas and other airlines have agreed to strike for 24 hours on Monday 12 September.
It follows calls by the Transport Workers Union for Dnata to lift pay and conditions, including minimum guaranteed work hours.
“We need to rebalance aviation towards good, secure jobs that keep skilled workers in the industry and ensure the safety of the travelling public,” said the transport union’s national secretary Michael Kaine.
The industrial action decided on Friday by the Dnata ground handlers is expected to create delays for international travellers with domestic flights potentially indirectly affected.
Dnata is one of the companies to which Qantas outsourced roles after letting go its own staff amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nearly 1700 workers sacked by Qantas could be eligible for compensation if the carrier loses the High Court appeal of a recent Federal Court decision declaring the outsourcing move as illegal.
Dnata workers provide ground handling services to Qantas international flights in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Their crews are not directly involved in services for Qantas domestic flights.
According to a Qantas spokesperson, Dnata’s services cover more than 20 airlines across Australia with the strike having potential impacts across the aviation sector.
