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Ground workers in Perth are planning to down tools on Thursday evening and Friday morning over what the TWU describes as “poverty wages” at dnata.
Hundreds of dnata employees will go on strike, affecting flights to destinations including Singapore, the UAE, South Africa, Vietnam, and New Zealand. According to the TWU, Perth has the lowest-paid dnata workers in the country, and management told them to “move to Sydney” for higher wages.
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Transport Workers Union WA state secretary Tim Dawson has blasted dnata as “detached from reality” over the alleged comments.
“Western Australians need to fly just as much as people in Sydney, so why are Perth workers penalised with poverty wages? Dnata employees shouldn’t have to move to receive a fair income,” he said.
“Ground workers are demanding more hours, fairer rosters, and decent pay to rebuild aviation jobs that have been smashed by Qantas’s outsourcing and dnata’s low-road approach.
“When companies slash pay and conditions, planes don’t leave on time and passengers are left stranded. It’s bad for workers, bad for passengers, and bad for WA.
“Western Australians deserve a safe, reliable aviation industry. That starts with decent, secure jobs – not poverty wages and management telling workers to uproot their lives just to be treated fairly.”
Seventy-nin per cent of dnata workers rejected what the TWU branded a “substandard agreement” from dnata, with 94.7 per cent then voting in favour of taking protected industrial action.
A dnata Airport Operations spokesperson did not confirm or deny whether the comments had been made, but said the company had put forward “sincere efforts and a fair, balanced proposal”.
“Our pay offer was designed to provide our valued employees with salary increases which ease the cost-of-living pressures and recognise their dedication and contributions to our company,” they said.
“Our proposal also aligns with prevailing market conditions, taking into account industry standards and comparable positions in the sector.
The company said it “remains committed to engaging with the TWU in good faith to reach a mutually acceptable agreement”.
“Should an industrial action go ahead, robust contingency measures have been implemented to safeguard our operations, minimise any impact to our customers, and ensure we continue to deliver the highest standards of service,” the spokesperson said.
“We are working closely with our valued partners to keep them informed and updated.”
Ground workers at dnata called off a planned strike in December after winning concessions from the company on wages, rostering, and working conditions.
