Customs and Border Protection industrial action

[Mal]

Are there details as to what airports/services will be affected tomorrow?

 

[FlyboyAl]

This may be a little off topic, but I just transfered from Int to Dom in Syd, and all was fine.
Spoke to the guy checking boarding passes as I came to the domestic transfer area and he said tomorrow was going to be "a cough**ing disaster". I asked who was going out and he said it was the TWU.
What was REALLY interesting was he then muttered a number of expletives about the unions and what it was doing to a great airline like QANTAS. He was an Aussie, and looked in his late 50's to 60's so it could be reasonable to assume he had been there fr some time

 

[rechoboam]

cbp,

I'm not sure what your dispute is about. I think you need to get the public on-side with billboards and a snappy slogan.

How about "There's no-one I'd rather have wearing a rubber glove than an Australian Customers and Border Protection officer"

Regards,
russ

How about:

"It could be worse!- have you met the TSA?"

 

[anchew]

Ms Flood says industrial action is likely tomorrow.
"It's clear that Customs wants to make a deal but they are being overruled by the Australian Public Service Commission and the Government and that means it's very difficult to resolve this dispute and industrial action is more likely than ever," she said.
"We have made some progress in negotiations and we're talking again this morning, but I have to say that Customs staff are pretty angry that it looks like the Government and the Public Service Commission have decided to derail a possible solution to this impasse."

Customs staff likely to strike again - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I find this funny... they're obviously blaming the APSC and the Government's bargaining framework, but how will striking help resolve anything? A strike will inconvenience travelers and put pressure on Customs which, according to the CPSU, is not their fault. The APSC and the Government won't even blink an eye while everyone lays blame on the union and/or Customs.

 

[cbp]

UPDATE:
Industrial action is going ahead tomorrow (Thursday 13 Oct).

From Customs home page

The stoppages will occur on Thursday 13 October at:

- Sydney International Airport for one hour at 7:00am and again at 9:00am, with a further stoppage for two hours at 7:00pm

- Melbourne International Airport for four hours at 7:00am and again at 9:00pm

- Brisbane International Airport for four hours from 6:30am, and again at 5:30pm

- Adelaide International Airport for four hours from 7:30am

- Perth International Airport for four hours from 2:00pm and again at 11:00pm

- Darwin International Airport for two hours from 3:30am and again at 5:00pm

- Gold Coast International Airport for two hours from 7:00am and again at 5:00pm

Here's the official notice:
http://www.cpsu.org.au/multiversion...ial action by CPSU to Customs 30 Sep 2011.pdf

And here's a more easy to read table of the industrial action from http://www.cpsu.org.au/campaigns/news/25759.html

City	Times
Brisbane Airport	6:30am - 10:30am, 5.30pm - 9:30pm
Gold Coast Airport	7:00am - 9:00am, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Cairns Airport	11:00am - 1:00pm, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Adelaide Airport	7.30am - 11.30am
Perth Airport	2:00pm - 6:00pm, 11:00pm-3:00am
Darwin Airport	3:30am - 5:30am, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Sydney Airport	7:00am - 8:00am, 9:00am - 10:00am, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Melbourne Airport	7:00am - 11:00, 9:00pm - 1:00am

 

[awilcockson]

Here's the official notice:
http://www.cpsu.org.au/multiversions/25757/FileName/Notice of industrial action by CPSU to Customs 30 Sep 2011.pdf

That's going to hurt!

I see this a lot in the document

Airport Operations Brisbane - Two consecutive stoppages of work for a 2 hour period
starting at 6:30am and ceasing 4 hours later on 13th October 2011

I'm assuming that's an attempt to get around some sort of legislation that limits stop work to periods of 2 hours or less?

 

[straitman]

Flying into SYD tomorrow and the times look OK for us.

Our daughter, SIL, 6yo and 15month old are not going to be happy as they are due to arrive at 5:30pm. :evil:

 

[cbp]

Just been informed that negotiations will continue on Mon 17 and Tue 18 Oct. The CPSU has also provided notice of futher industrial action for Thu 20 Oct depending on the outcome of those negotiations.

As for tomorrow (and next Thursday if it goes ahead), I imagine that things should run more smoothly than when airport staff walked off the job a couple of weeks ago. Management has been training a group of office based staff on airport duties whereas last time, only minimal training was delivered :shock:.

 

[rechoboam]

If leaving MEL on an international flight during the morning stoppage are there expected to be any major issues?

 

[cbp]

If leaving MEL on an international flight during the morning stoppage are there expected to be any major issues?

While I don't work at the airport or anything related to passengers, what I understand is that during the industrial action a couple of weeks ago, outgoing ran more smoothly than incoming. Also, as you can imagine, outgoing is relatively more simple to process than incoming, thus the delays experienced by inbound passangers.

However, as the Customs home page advises, "we encourage travellers to arrive at airports early and proceed straight to Customs."

 

[rechoboam]

outbound OK at the moment

While I don't work at the airport or anything related to passengers, what I understand is that during the industrial action a couple of weeks ago, outgoing ran more smoothly than incoming. Also, as you can imagine, outgoing is relatively more simple to process than incoming, thus the delays experienced by inbound passangers.

However, as the Customs home page advises, "we encourage travellers to arrive at airports early and proceed straight to Customs."

There are no delays are issues just now outbound at Melbourne in case anyone is wondering. Passport control were friendly and efficient. Having arrived ridiculously early I have several hours in the J lounge.

 

[cbp]

UPDATE:

The planned industrial action for tomorrow has been postponed until next Thursday 27 Oct.

Whether or not it will go ahead will depend on negotiations early next week. A summary of the planned action can be found here: http://www.cpsu.org.au/multiversion... re Protected action for 27 October final.pdf

In summary, 24 hour stoppages in WA, VIC & NSW. 4 hours in everywhere else.

Word on the street is that Customs and Border Protection Management and the CPSU have come to some sort of in-principle agreement. The industrial action is planned for in the event that it is vitoed by the APSC and/or the Government.

 

[cbp]

The 24 hour industrial action has now hit the media:
Customs staff to walk off job on Thursday | Airport delays, Flights

Negotiations are continuing tomorrow (Wed 26 Oct)

 

[cxf.]

Any update on tomorrows plans?

 

[clifford]

Let them strike.

There's too many of them anyway (based on my own personal observations). Get rid of of 20% of them (they wouldn't be missed) and you could then give the remaing employees a reasonable pay rise. But it would have to be tied to productivity improvements.

It isn't 1974 any longer you know.

 

[cbp]

UPDATE:

The 24 hour industrial action is going ahead tomorrow (Thursday 27 Oct 2011).

 

[Hvr]

And it was announced on the news tonight that the strike was cancelled because an offer was made.

Hope this is the end of the matter and it is a fore taste of an are of industrial peace.

 

[Jasecoop]

Love the media in the morning, they interviewed people that said it was the quickest and easiest they had been through. Interesting if the strike was on

 

[Awesom Andy]

Love the media in the morning, they interviewed people that said it was the quickest and easiest they had been through. Interesting if the strike was on

I came through SYD at 6am this morning, and it was even quicker than what SIN is usually capable of. I didn't even know about the strike until I got home and watched the news.

 

[VHOEJ]

Interesting if the run through customs was that efficent - none of the media reported that! The unions would hate that to be made public, it shows how replaceable thier staff are.