Rivet aircraft refuellers who work for Qantas at Melbourne Airport have been on strike for 24-hours since 4am today.
The refuellers have written to Qantas calling for an urgent meeting with the airline and Rivet to finalise a package and prevent further protected industrial action.
The Transport Workers Union 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.”
The Transport Workers Union said that “as Rivet’s major client, accounting for at least 60 per cent 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.”
Here at Melbourne Airport with brave Rivet refuellers who’ve walked off the job. @Qantas made $1.4b half-year profit while these workers getting Qantas planes in the air haven’t had a pay rise for 3 years. Time for the airline to come to the table. pic.twitter.com/87O0qrigyS
— Michael Kaine (@TWUMichaelKaine) March 7, 2023
Mark Rowsthorn, CEO Rivet, told Travel Weekly that there’s been some back-and-forth between Rivet and the TWU, but the aviation supply company received no reply from the union off the back of the last two offers.
Rowsthorn said the TWU was looking to secure a four per cent increase per annum in a three year deal and that they were looking for “substantial back-pay.”
When asked about the TWU’s claim of increased workloads and responsibilities, Rowsthorn said “we don’t run a business like that.”
Featured Image: TWU strikers at Melbourne Airport (Twitter/@MemTWU)
