Tourist hotspots hit as Skydive Australia instructors strike for a second day amid pay dispute
Australia’s skydiving industry has entered a second turmoil as tandem instructors continue their historic strike over pay disputes.
This trek led to jumps being made in the drop zones of Skydive Australia, one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions, and employer Experience Co. It put new pressure on him.
A 24-hour work stoppage on Friday reached Saturday after workers in Queensland, NSW and Victoria voted to extend the strike, accusing the company of trying to undercut wages and undermine safety standards in a trust-based industry.
Trainers are expected to return to work on Sunday, but the dispute will escalate again on Monday when AWU delegates meet Experience Co’s HR team to hear the company’s long-awaited revised offer.
AWU Southern Regional Organizer Michael Anderson said they were told on Saturday to wait for the offer until after business on Friday, but the offer did not come.
“Ex Co has advised the AWU that a revised position is likely to be tabled on Monday,” Mr Anderson told NewsWire.
“AWU members are considering options for possible ongoing industrial action should Ex Co continue to treat its employees with complete disrespect.”
The strike follows nearly 10 months of stalled negotiations for Experience Co’s first corporate deal, which covers 130 skydiving instructors, many of whom have completed thousands of jumps and years of intensive safety training.
The AWU said the company had repeatedly put forward wage proposals that would push workers back despite recording its strongest financial results since 2019.
One proposal included cuts of up to $100,000 a year for some instructors; The latest proposal would reduce the minimum annual wage from $57,000 to $49,000 and tie earnings to a piece rate per jump that the union calls “too low.”
AWU National Organizer Jonathan Cook said the cuts would not only harm workers but also put customers at risk.
“Tandem skydiving instructors literally take people’s lives in their hands every time they go to work,” Mr. Cook said.
“If you’re not investing in your people, you’re undermining the trust the industry has built over the years.
“Experience Co’s message is clear. They want to turn these skilled professionals into gig workers who are paid less, work harder and carry the same great responsibility.”
The AWU said its members voted 100 per cent unanimously in favor of protected industrial action.
Experience Co, which employs more than 1,000 staff across tourism destinations including Noosa, Airlie Beach, Mission Beach and Byron Bay, condemned the strike as irresponsible and destructive, especially during the pre-Christmas tourism rush.
Chief executive John O’Sullivan said the company was working to reschedule customers and minimize disruption but criticized the union for escalating tensions at one of the busiest periods of the year.
“Thanks to the hard work of our team and the patience and understanding of our customers and partners, we have managed to adapt to many of the changes so they can have a safe and memorable experience,” Mr O’Sullivan said in a statement.
“Nevertheless, we share their disappointment with the AWU for its unreasonable and irresponsible industrial action that inconvenienced customers and staff at one of our busiest periods of the year. We call on the AWU to reconsider its actions and put an end to the reckless disruption it has caused.”
Mr O’Sullivan said the company offered strong conditions, including job security and “six-figure salaries for tandem masters in popular locations”, but claimed the AWU rejected every offer and responded with a claim that would impose “huge costs” on a business still recovering from COVID-19.
“We find it difficult to understand this action given the strength of our proposals,” he said.
“We call on the union to return to the bargaining table with reasonable expectations so that we can reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”
Instructors plan to resume work tomorrow, but union members said they were prepared to continue the strike if Monday’s meeting failed to reach a fair agreement.
The AWU said they would not accept cuts that threaten safety, livelihoods or the future of the skydiving profession.
“Our members love what they do, but passion doesn’t pay rent,” Mr Cook said.
“The industry is rising but wages and careers are falling, and that’s dangerous.”
