Qantas Ground Workers to Strike Next Week

The airline plans to maintain full flight schedules despite upcoming industrial action by ground staff.

Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Unions

Bold flat-color editorial illustration depicting a single service ladder silhouette against a plain sky, representing labor negotiations. — Qantas ground staff will begin industrial action next week, with the union seeking higher wages and improved full-time employment opportunities. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Qantas ground workers are scheduled to initiate industrial action next week to push for better wage adjustments and increased full-time job opportunities. Despite the planned strike, the airline states that it does not expect any disruptions to QantasLink services.

Why it matters

The union is organising the strike to directly address ongoing concerns regarding safety standards and wage suppression among employees. Qantas is actively working to resolve these tensions by offering a new enterprise agreement with improved pay and working conditions.

The proposed enterprise agreement offers ground workers up to 26 per cent pay increases and guarantees for more full-time opportunities. This offer includes back pay retroactively applied to September 2025.

The players

Qantas

This major airline is the national carrier of Australia and is currently engaged in enterprise agreement negotiations with its ground staff.

The details

The union is pushing for these changes to reform current safety standards and combat wage suppression for QGS employees. Qantas has responded by implementing contingency plans to ensure that service levels remain unaffected for customers during the industrial action.

Back pay in the proposed agreement is set to be effective from September 2025.
Previous industrial action by staff occurred in September 2026.
The upcoming industrial action is scheduled to take place during the week of October 2026.

Political Context

The dispute follows the standard negotiation processes established under the Fair Work Act's enterprise bargaining framework as both parties seek a resolution. Opposition groups and union representatives remain critical of the current pace of wage growth and job security improvements.

Travellers can expect normal operations as the airline has stated it does not foresee any disruptions to QantasLink services. Ground staff are continuing to advocate for greater full-time opportunities and improved wage conditions through their union.

The takeaway

Maintaining service reliability remains a priority for the airline while union members continue to seek structural changes to their employment terms. Passengers are encouraged to monitor flight status updates as a standard precaution during periods of industrial unrest.