Warning of tourist disruption as skydiving instructors strike
Disruption at tourist hotspots across Australia is expected today, with skydiving instructors walking off the job in what a union said was "unprecedented" industrial action.
The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) said skydiving instructors employed by tourism giant Experience Co's Skydive Australia were stopping work at eight sites in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
The company's 130 instructors have received paltry pay rises in recent years, the AWU said.
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Skydiving instructors across Australia are striking today for the first time. The Age
Their decision to strike follows nearly 10 months of stalled negotiations for a first-ever enterprise agreement and the strongest financial results this year by Experience Co since 2018-2019.
Wage proposals by the company "included cuts of between $20,000 and $100,000 a year", the AWU said.
The planned minimum annual wage for instructors would be slashed from $57,000 to $49,000.
The AWU claimed the company was attempting to make skydiving instructors "gig workers", a move that could impact the safety of customers.
"Tandem skydiving instructors literally take people's lives in their hands every time they go to work," AWU national organiser Jonathan Cook said.
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Byron Bay on the NSW Far North Coast is one of the skydiving sites impacted. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Skydiving Australia sites affected by the strike include Mission Beach in Queensland, Byron Bay in NSW and St Kilda in Victoria.
Experience Co described the stoppages as "unreasonable and irresponsible" and condemned the actions.
"We are at a loss to understand this action given the strength of our offers," chief executive John O'Sullivan said.
He said the AWU has rejected every employer offer and responded with an ambit claim last month, which would add massive costs to the business.
He urged the union to return to the bargaining table with "reasonable expectations" to ensure a deal could be struck.
O'Sullivan said Skydive Australia was "actively managing the situation" to reduce the impact, with some rescheduling required.
Customers are being contacted directly and offered alternative options or a full refund.
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