Airport travel likely to face significant delays in Canberra and Queensland

Australian domestic aviation activity statistics showed a total of 2.81 million Australians flew on commercial flights last December.

Meanwhile in 2020, 2.47 million flew during the month and in December 2019, before COVID, 5.48 million people flew.

That comes as contracted security workers employed by ISS Security and Certis Security seek a 6 per cent upfront pay rise.

Canberra Airport security staff are expected to walk off the job on Friday, while Brisbane and Gold Coast airport staff are due to walk out on December 19.

The United Workers Union aviation coordinator Damian Davie said the security contractors have been paid significantly less compared to Melbourne and Sydney airport workers.

"We all know the population explosion and growth outside of Sydney and Melbourne in this country has led to cost of living skyrocketing in cities and these workers want to catch up," he said.

"These workers are prepared to take action, they would like to see action avoided, but at the end of the day it's unavoidable if the company's won't come to the table with a decent increase that does something to address cost of living pressures that these people are under."

Segment director of ISS Security, Phil Brezzo, who contracts staff in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, said he was calling on the union to withdraw the industrial action.

"For several months ISS have been negotiating in good faith with the United Workers Union over a replacement enterprise agreement for our teams at Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville airports," he said.

"We have offered a generous 11.1 per cent wage increase ... as well as significant above-award conditions including extra allowances, increased paid break times, additional penalty rates, and extra paid leave."

Mr Brezzo said the planned industrial action this Friday and next Monday was "at the busiest time of the day, on the busiest day of the week, in what will likely be the busiest week of the year".

"Any industrial action will potentially throw the travel plans of tens of thousands of Australians into chaos and is particularly harsh given the previous two Christmas periods have been severely disrupted due to COVID-19," he said.

"Due to high passenger loads and limited flight availability, people who are unable to fly due to the industrial action, may not have any alternative but to cancel their holiday travel plans."

A Brisbane Airport Corporation spokesperson said they hoped "the security company, and its workforce is able to reach a fair outcome in this wage negotiation".

"We are concerned that hard working Australians, many of whom have been unable to see family and take a restriction free Christmas holiday for several years, could end up collateral damage in this wage negotiation," they said.

Head of aviation at Canberra Airport, Michael Thomson, said he hoped a resolution could be reached so that "travellers are not disrupted unnecessarily".

"During the festive season we advise all travellers to arrive at the airport early and leave ample time to clear security screening," he said.

READ MORE

Some members of the public interviewed at an airport said they'd "like to see them do it at a different time".

Others were more sympathetic, saying "they have a right to go on strike and they have a right to be paid frequently enough to live their life".

The outcome could be flight cancellations and long delays during the first restriction-free Christmas in three years since the COVID outbreak.

Those with travel plans through airports are recommended to stay in touch with their airline and arrive at least 90 minutes early for domestic flights and three hours for international trips.