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Dubai’s dnata, Australian workers' union in talks to avoid strike at Sydney airport

Baggage handlers are revolting as their pay deal talks came to a halt

The Dubai-based global air and travel services firm dnata on Tuesday said it’s in talks with the Transport Workers’ Union in Australia to avoid strike by the ground crew.

Dnata spokesperson said the company is committed to prioritise Australian jobs and ensure that employees are “appropriately compensated”.

Sydney Airport is facing travel chaos as baggage handlers prepare to strike after their pay deal talks came to a halt. Ground staff at Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney will vote on Tuesday afternoon whether to proceed with a strike on pay and safety issues.

In Australia, dnata runs six cargo terminal operations across Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne and Perth, serving more than 20 airlines. Dnata also operates cool chain facilities in both Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport. It also operates two cool dollies each at both airports for temperature-sensitive cargo.

“We are dedicated to the restart of Australian aviation and will continue to work hard to support our employees and meet our customers’ requirements. We remain committed to ensuring our employees are appropriately compensated and able to complete their roles to the highest standard,” dnata Airport Operations spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times on Tuesday.

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“We stay committed to working with our trade union partners and continue our conversations with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and employees in good faith while working to minimise the impact of potential industrial action on our customers' operations. We have and will continue to prioritise Australian jobs and our local workforce,” said the spokesperson.

In recent years, dnata invested significantly in infrastructure, equipment and training to provide the most innovative solutions to the Australian market. With a presence across the globe, dnata serves 347 airlines in ground handling, 525,000 flights and over 51 million passengers each year.

Dnata Airport Operations spokesperson said the company assures the best safety standards for its employees and customers.

“The safety and security of our staff, customers and their customers are our number one priority. We have a robust training programme as well as comprehensive and stringent measures in place that ensure the highest level of safety across our operations,” said the spokesperson.