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Workers Strike Over Conditions and Pay at Sydney Airport

The Australian Border Force said passengers travelling in and out of the country over the coming week may experience delays at global airports due to the industrial action.

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Managers stepped in during the strike at Sydney Airport on Monday, but there were still delays.

The Community and Public Sector Union, which represents the workers, said staff who process passengers on global flights would stop work for two hours during the morning and afternoon peak periods until September 30.

Travelers are being advised to arrive at the airports earlier than the recommended two hours before departures.

The Australian Border Force, has assured travellers that safety matters have been addressed: “Arrangements are in place to protect Australia’s borders and minimise the impact on our operations”, the department posted on its Facebook page.

However, Ms Flood says the immigration and border force workers are being hit hardest.

Regarding the arrival of these scabs, CPSU secretary Nadine Flood told Sky News Sunday, “They’re turning heavy-handed tactics on their own workforce, when sitting down and resolving this 18-month dispute would be a better option …”

Other commonwealth government agencies, including Centrelink, Medicare and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, are also set to take a half-day strike on Thursday.

Flood said the former minister, Eric Abetz, refused to come to the table for 18 months despite delivering a “draconian” bargaining policy.

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The strikes started at 4am AEST (6am NZST) in Cairns and are scheduled for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and the Gold Coast.

Strike set to cause travel delays