“Workers are not going to be pushed into part-time precarious positions while airports continue to roll in massive profits.” Security personnel at Sydney Airport walked off the job on Friday, October 16, initiating strikes across domestic and international terminals that prompted warnings of potential disruptions. The industrial action, organized by the Transport Workers’ Union, targeted windows from 6am to 10am and 5pm to 9pm.
Mass Staff Walkout Disrupts Terminals at Mascot
The coordinated walkout involved hundreds of staff employed by labour hire company Certis Security Australia. Striking workers gathered outside the international terminal at Mascot, chanting slogans regarding wages and union representation.
In response to the personnel shortage, Sydney Airport deployed additional passenger facilitation staff into the terminals and rostered extra baggage handlers into the baggage rooms. Airport management urged travellers to monitor airline messages closely and allow extra time to navigate the screening zones.
Flight Cancellations Force Airport Contingency Plans
Despite these contingency measures, the stoppages forced airlines to cancel some flights. The airport authority is not a direct party to the ongoing enterprise agreement negotiations between Certis and its workforce, though airport management remains in close coordination with operational partners to maintain regulatory compliance.
Hundreds of security workers at Sydney Airport are set to strike on Friday amid a bitter dispute over pay and conditions.https://t.co/Ln9Tjv6ssQ
| Metric / Detail | Reported Figure |
|---|---|
| Strike Dates & Windows | Friday, October 16 (6am–10am, 5pm–9pm) |
| Union Representation | Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) |
| Contractor Involved | Certis Security Australia |
| Airport Financials Cited | $584.3 million (2024–25 aeronautical profit) |
TWU Clashes With Certis Over Rosters and Profits
The industrial action stems from unresolved enterprise bargaining negotiations centered on job security, fair rostering, and minimum hours. The Transport Workers’ Union stated that workers are demanding more full-time jobs, fairer rostering, and no cuts to part-time hours.
Approximately 60 per cent of security staff at the airport are employed full-time and earn more than $100,000 a year, with wages having risen by more than 50 per cent since 2019, while part-time staff receive a minimum of 32 permanent hours a week.
Crisis Talks Fail to Halt Pre-Dawn Stoppages
Tensions escalated during crisis talks held ahead of the walkout. Michael Kaine detailed claims that Certis proposed cutting minimum hours by six during discussions rather than offering a constructive pathway forward. Kaine argued that workers felt caught between the airport and Certis, pointing to the airport’s reported aeronautical profit of $584.3 million for the 2024–25 period as evidence of funds available to support better workforce conditions.
New Contractor Proposal Stalls Amid Unresolved Stoppages
Certis countered union assertions by highlighting a newly tabled proposal. A spokesperson for Certis stated that employees received a new offer for their consideration on Thursday, expressing disappointment that the union proceeded with industrial action despite that proposal remaining on the table.
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