Perth Customs Strikes

[Limewood]

Had the misfortune of arriving from DOH into PER last week around 5.30pm after a long flight to find a queue of 1500+ pax lining up for customs, later as we shuffled along it was announced the customs officers were having an industrial dispute until 7pm, real nice timing it was, at least 3 int. flights just arrived, well thank you.

Of course it didn't matter one hoot to them to punish the flying public including some in the queue on crutches, plus many older seniors. And those from abroad were not impressed either, what happened to arbitration I wondered?. About an hour or so later we were waved through.

I was about to say a few words as they came out of their cubby holes back to work at 7pm as we had just passed through, but the guy in front said it all to the boss customs guy, he could not handle the flack and told him to leave, the guy persisted in telling this officer in no uncertain terms what a pack of.... etc etc., that they were taking this action and especially at this time, whoever you are well done, we cheered and went on our way.

 

[jackthomas]

Sorry you had to experience the strikes, It boggles me that they can just shut down an airport terminal like that... Really hoping the actions are coming to an end.

 

[spudwa]

The government says these people are important to border security but they want to reduce their wages.

 

[Limewood]

The government says these people are important to border security but they want to reduce their wages.

So why penalise the travelling public, unconscionable behaviour in my book, they should go to arbitration and once all evidence is heard, any decision made by the umpire should be accepted.

 

[nickykim]

Not much point withdrawing labour if it doesn't impact on the service..but yes it isn't pleasant to be caught up in it.

 

[Limewood]

Not much point withdrawing labour if it doesn't impact on the service..but yes it isn't pleasant to be caught up in it.

Well it did impact big time having skeleton staff - mangers i guess, but to do this to the public and the old really annoyed us all, why are the penalising the public? its dam wrong, hope they get fined a million bucks.

 

[Hvr]

Well it did impact big time having skeleton staff - mangers i guess, but to do this to the public and the old really annoyed us all, why are the penalising the public? its dam wrong, hope they get fined a million bucks.

Why would they be fined? It's protected industrial action sanctioned by the court, therefore legal.

Or did you mean the employer who wants to reduce wages by thousands of dollars per year?

 

[Limewood]

Why would they be fined? It's protected industrial action sanctioned by the court, therefore legal.

Or did you mean the employer who wants to reduce wages by thousands of dollars per year?

Its sanctioned by a court well Ill be isn't that good for them, I wonder if the court knew of the great time they chose to inconvenience the travelling public?.

So they want to reduce wages by thousands hey, on what grounds?, surely this wont hold, anyway why are the travelling public being made to pay for this action??, bloody outrageous behaviour.

 

[jackthomas]

It's a tricky subject these strikes...
I ( as I'm sure everyone else does) agrees and believes that everybody deserves a fair go and their best possible wage...
I don't however at all agree with intentionally inconveniencing and causing problems for well meaning Australians and the travelling public..
Obviously unions need to create noise and attention, but there are certainly other ways to go about it without causing the rest of us issues.

Hopefully this will be all resolved soon.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

This is precisely the problem though.
If the strikes were held when no flights were due, no-one would notice.
Unless they cause some disruption, they aren't an effective bargaining tool.
So if they don't cause the rest of us issues, they might as well not bother.

The real question is why this issue hasn't been resolved through negotiation.

 

[Limewood]

This is precisely the problem though.
If the strikes were held when no flights were due, no-one would notice.
Unless they cause some disruption, they aren't an effective bargaining tool.
So if they don't cause the rest of us issues, they might as well not bother.

The real question is why this issue hasn't been resolved through negotiation.

No bargaining tool at all, just awful behaviour, just infuriates the travelling public with a brainless action.

Yes I'd like to know why it has not been resolved through negotiation.

 

[dajop]

No bargaining tool at all, just awful behaviour, just infuriates the travelling public with a brainless action.

Maybe the strikes actually save the govt money and blame can be squared at the striking workers .... same as public transport strikes. In the private sector, or for revenue sector, the strikes tend to impact the financials so are more effective = but unless there's a landmark type precedent that needs to be avoided or something that needs fixing (thinking pilot strike 1989, waterfront 1998), I assume would tend to be negotiated to resolution fairly quickly.

Much better to be a striking parking officer .... you get the public on your side and deprive the employer (council) of valuable revenue!

 

[Limewood]

Much better to be a striking parking officer .... you get the public on your side and deprive the employer (council) of valuable revenue!

Makes more sense

 

[esseeeayeenn]

No bargaining tool at all, just awful behaviour, just infuriates the travelling public with a brainless action.

Yes I'd like to know why it has not been resolved through negotiation.

Is this a parody comment?

 

[Limewood]

Is this a parody comment?

nope, just annoyed

 

[Himeno]

Maybe the strikes actually save the govt money and blame can be squared at the striking workers .... same as public transport strikes.

When the public transport here goes on strike, unless the drivers are stopping work to go to a meeting, they still go to work, they just turn off the fare collection devices and don't take fares. ie, public transport still runs, all rides are free.

 

[hummel]

Are these strikes still ongoing? I arrived in MEL this morning and hadn't seen queue like it before (way past duty free) for foreign and still big queues for locals.

Interesting to note that my ePassport didn't work for the first time in say 35+ trips. So joined the assistance queue... and I wasn't the only one that had such a random issue.

 

[Hvr]

No bargaining tool at all, just awful behaviour, just infuriates the travelling public with a brainless action.

Yes I'd like to know why it has not been resolved through negotiation.

Basically the Federal government is refusing to negotiate and saying here is a very low offer, take it or leave it.

With the merger of Customs and Immigration to create Border Force the gov is saying that the lower paying agency's rates will be applied and the other people will have their allowances reduced to the tune of several thousand dollars per year.

This dispute has been ongoing for many months and the gov is refusing to even consider retaining existing rates of allowances etc.

 

[Limewood]

Well that is wrong IMO, should go to arbitration, but still, making the public pay in long arrival queues is not right either.