Travellers over the Easter School Holiday are facing travel chaos downunder in Australia after the United Firefighters Association Aviation Branch (UFUAV) informed Airservices, the Australian government air traffic control provider, of plans to take protected industrial action during the Easter school holidays, in their quest for a 20% pay rise.

According to Airservices, which also looks after firefighting services at 27 airports, the UFUAV has provided official notification of protected industrial action it plans to take commencing April 5, including an indefinite ban on overtime which has the potential to disrupt aircraft operations at airports across Australia and cause travel chaos.

Airservices says it has offered ARFF crews an 11.2% pay rise over three years, with no change in conditions, however, the UFUAV is demanding a 20% pay rise as part of a range of claims that in total would cost the aviation industry and their passengers an additional $128 million.

Airservices said in a statement that “in line with recommendations from the Fair Work Commission, Airservices was prepared to hold further meetings with the union to seek a resolution to the dispute without the looming threat of industrial action, however, the UFUAV has refused.”

The air traffic control provider also said that the union has threatened to instruct their members to conduct a go-slow in not guaranteeing response times, or even delaying their response to emergency situations involving the travelling public beyond the three-minute maximum required by safety regulations.

“It is disappointing that the UFUAV is continuing to put thousands of Australians’ safety at risk over the Easter school holiday period in their campaign for a 20% pay increase,” said Airservices Australia CEO Jason Harfield.

“This disruptive campaign has nothing to do with staffing levels, which are monitored and regulated by CASA as the aviation safety regulator.”

Airservices said it will work with the airlines and airports to maintain safe operations and to minimise any impact on the travelling public as a result of industrial action.

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