Passengers at Perth International Airport are facing potential delays as ground handling staff employed by dnata begin a 16-hour strike over an ongoing pay dispute.
The protected industrial action, led by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), began at 5:30pm Thursday and is scheduled to end at 10:00am Friday (AWST). It is affecting a range of international passenger and cargo flights, including services to Singapore, the UAE, South Africa, Vietnam, and New Zealand.
The TWU claims dnata workers in Perth are being underpaid compared to their counterparts in other states, despite performing the same duties. The union labelled dnata’s most recent enterprise agreement offer as “substandard”, arguing it fails to address significant wage disparities and rising cost-of-living pressures.
TWU WA Secretary Ian Bray said the strike followed months of negotiations without meaningful progress.
“Workers are simply asking for fair treatment. They are not paid what others in the same company earn for the same job elsewhere in Australia.”
dnata Responds
In a statement provided to TravelTalk, a dnata spokesperson said the company has acted in good faith and is committed to reaching an agreement:
“Despite our sincere efforts and a fair, balanced proposal, we have not yet reached a resolution with our employees and the TWU. Our offer provides salary increases that ease cost-of-living pressures and aligns with market conditions.”
dnata added that contingency plans have been implemented to minimise disruption to passengers and maintain service levels during the strike.
Travellers are advised to check flight schedules, arrive early, and monitor updates from their airlines.
Further industrial action has not been ruled out as negotiations continue.
