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WHEN: 7am Tuesday, 1 December, 2020. Press conference at 7.45am. All times local time.

WHERE: Brisbane Airport – Kingsford Smith Memorial

WHAT: Over 100 cars will create a motorcade at and around Brisbane Airport from 7 am – 7:30 am calling on ISS Facility Services to adopt a fair, transparent process in their plans to cut more than 30 per cent of airport security officers Australia-wide. This will be followed by a press conference at 7:45 am at Kingsford Smith Memorial.

WHO: Security Officer Angie Brandham and United Workers Union Spokesperson for Property Services, Damien Davie and will be available for comment.

NOTE: Everyone attending this event will be expected to adhere to current social distancing guidelines.

As Brisbane Airport bounces back today (EDS: Tuesday) with increased flights and interstate border restrictions largely removed, hundreds of airport security officers facing the sack nationally will be calling for fair treatment.

After successfully winning an eleventh-hour injunction that temporarily halts the sackings, aviation protection officers will rally by motorcade outside Brisbane Airport to demand ISS lives up to its obligations to long-standing workers.

The Brisbane Airport protests follow ISS’s move to sack more than 350 ISS Aviation Protection Officers, who were told they would be given redundancy notices this week.

However late on Sunday, in a significant ruling for the aviation protection officers, and potentially other workers facing the sack during Covid-19, the Federal Court placed an injunction on the redundancies.

The injunction stops ISS from issuing notices or terminating the employment of APOs for reason of redundancy until such time as the Court orders otherwise.

The injunction was granted because the judge found ISS – which is trying to sack more than 30 per cent of its workforce – had failed to properly consult with its workers before threatening to sack them.

“This ruling shows that ISS failed to undertake the necessary steps to ensure a fair redundancy process,” United Workers Union property services spokesperson Damien Davie said today.

“These protests are about holding ISS to account for the fair treatment of workers who have in some cases given decades of service.”

In handing down his decision Judge Heffernan noted:

  • United Workers Union had a prima face case against ISS that it had breached the consultation terms of enterprise agreements covering affected airports in Qld, Vic and WA.
  • In times of economic downturn there was little employees could do to prevent redundancies. Workers did however have a clear right to be consulted.
  • The judge accepted the union’s argument that the alleged breaches by ISS are a matter of public interest and that the union has a proper role in enforcing workers’ rights.
  • The judge recognised the injunction issued against ISS was likely to cause inconvenience and financial loss.
  • He weighed that against the impact the redundancies would have on hundreds of workers.

Redundancy numbers across Australian airports total more than 600, with about 370 involuntary redundancies that were the subject of the injunction:

  • Brisbane 37% or about 210 officers being made redundant in total
  • Melbourne 38% or about 280 officers
  • Perth 23% or about 80 officers
  • Gold Coast 32% or about 40 officers
  • Townsville 32% or about 10 officers