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Airport Strike To 'Disrupt' Travel, Business: Union

Airport Strike Set To Delay Thousands Of Aussie Travellers
Jet aeroplane being loaded while waiting for boarding passengers at a terminal gate aerobridge
David Freund via Getty Images
Jet aeroplane being loaded while waiting for boarding passengers at a terminal gate aerobridge

SYDNEY -- Holidaymakers and business travellers are being warned they could face big delays at airports around the nation on Monday as hundreds of border patrol officers go on a 24-hour strike.

The Immigration Department said on Sunday travellers would likely be impacted when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers walked off the job at international airports, ports, container examination facilities and mail inspection services Monday morning .

“The Department is making arrangements to minimise the impact on travellers at our international airports as much as possible,” ABF assistant commissioner Clive Murray said.

“Some delays are still expected and those planning on travelling overseas on Monday are encouraged to arrive early at the airport, and then to proceed directly to border clearance."

He said Australia's borders would remain safe, despite the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) action.

The union's national secretary, Nadine Flood, said the strike was in a bid to stop government threats to cut staff pay and working conditions.

"With this dispute dragging on for over a year it is time for government to sit down and sort this out," she said.

"We are expecting some disruption to passengers and business, the extent of that will depend on the department's contingency plans."

She said the 24-hour strike had been held off for 6 weeks in hope that a solution could be reached.

"These are working mums and dads that are under pressure and are worried about their weekly budgets, a lot of them are going to spend the day actually seeing their kids."

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