Aerocare exposed
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Aerocare exposed
It's been a bottom feeding operation for years. Interesting pics although nothing new for those that have flown in many other countries.
Not buying the Tiger cargo door comment. 'Preparing or Takeoff' in other words 'Still on the Bay'
Not buying the Tiger cargo door comment. 'Preparing or Takeoff' in other words 'Still on the Bay'
Staff claim shocking conditions, fatigue are compromising safety at Sydney Airport
GROUND staff have blown the whistle on what really goes on behind the scenes at Australia’s busiest airport — and it isn’t pretty.
Staff say they are forced to camp beside baggage carousels, sleep inside luggage containers, among rat droppings and rubbish, and hang around inside Sydney Airport for up to 15 hours a day in order to work split shifts for paltry pay, the ABC reports.
Workers from ground handling contractor Aerocare have also told of a frightening near-miss by sleep-deprived staff which saw a fully loaded Tiger Air passenger jet in Brisbane preparing for takeoff with a cargo door left wide open by mistake.
Aerocare is contracted to major airlines to provide ground support at Sydney airport, loading bags, passengers and performing safety checks.
“Its filthy, it’s cold, it’s dark, it’s just absolutely horrible,” Aerocare truck driver George Orsaris told ABC’s 730 program.
“Its definitely not conditions that people in this day an age, especially in Australia, (expect) are going on here. Its unthinkable.”
Leaked photos show makeshift beds underneath passenger terminals, where staff say they camp out between shifts because they can’t afford to go home.
“They can’t afford the fuel or the tolls,” Transport Workers Union spokesman Tony Sheldon said, claiming workers were earning as little as $1500 a month.
“This is a terrible indictment on the Australian workforce.”
Another anonymous whistleblower told the program: “We’re just getting ground down. its all about the money. It’s stopped being about people ... it’s just a means to an end.”
Aerocare has denied the allegations of poor treatment and fatigue-related safety incidents.
The company, which reportedly posted a $13 million profit last year, said in a statement it has “invested millions of dollars to improve the quality of its rostering so as to maximise the duration of shifts, with the goal of securing more contracts which would enable Aerocare to offer employees longer shifts and further viable fulltime positions.”
Aerocare chief executive Glenn Rutherford says while the company will investigate the claims, staff have access to their own lounge and he is unaware of employees sleeping between shifts in the baggage handling area.
“Aerocare does not and will not permit the ‘camping out’ that has been shown,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Baggage areas are carefully monitored and recorded by airport and Australian Border Force personnel. We have contacted both parties to confirm whether they have any record of such activity.”
Aerocare also claims Mr Orsaris was with the company for just two months before he quit last June while he was still being trained.
Aerocare says he had not worked any split shifts and had no access to the baggage handling areas that are also used by staff from other companies servicing Sydney Airport.
The claims about Aerocare have emerged as the company undertakes talks with the Transport Workers’ Union about a new pay deal.
The TWU is pushing for minimum shift hours to be extended from three hours to four hours and the removal of any obligation for staff to work split shifts. Staff are currently paid between about $21 an $27 an hour.
Mr Sheldon accused Aerocare of paying “slave wages”.
“This is being allowed to happen because airports and airlines are outsourcing work to low cost companies and not giving a damn about the workers in their supply chains that it affects,” he said in a statement.
Aerocare said staff are offered the chance to work two shifts a day when it effectively doesn’t have enough contracted work for them to make up a longer continuous shift.
It was also committed to “significant” wage increases.
Sydney Airport working conditions risking safety, staff say
Staff say they are forced to camp beside baggage carousels, sleep inside luggage containers, among rat droppings and rubbish, and hang around inside Sydney Airport for up to 15 hours a day in order to work split shifts for paltry pay, the ABC reports.
Workers from ground handling contractor Aerocare have also told of a frightening near-miss by sleep-deprived staff which saw a fully loaded Tiger Air passenger jet in Brisbane preparing for takeoff with a cargo door left wide open by mistake.
Aerocare is contracted to major airlines to provide ground support at Sydney airport, loading bags, passengers and performing safety checks.
“Its filthy, it’s cold, it’s dark, it’s just absolutely horrible,” Aerocare truck driver George Orsaris told ABC’s 730 program.
“Its definitely not conditions that people in this day an age, especially in Australia, (expect) are going on here. Its unthinkable.”
Leaked photos show makeshift beds underneath passenger terminals, where staff say they camp out between shifts because they can’t afford to go home.
“They can’t afford the fuel or the tolls,” Transport Workers Union spokesman Tony Sheldon said, claiming workers were earning as little as $1500 a month.
“This is a terrible indictment on the Australian workforce.”
Another anonymous whistleblower told the program: “We’re just getting ground down. its all about the money. It’s stopped being about people ... it’s just a means to an end.”
Aerocare has denied the allegations of poor treatment and fatigue-related safety incidents.
The company, which reportedly posted a $13 million profit last year, said in a statement it has “invested millions of dollars to improve the quality of its rostering so as to maximise the duration of shifts, with the goal of securing more contracts which would enable Aerocare to offer employees longer shifts and further viable fulltime positions.”
Aerocare chief executive Glenn Rutherford says while the company will investigate the claims, staff have access to their own lounge and he is unaware of employees sleeping between shifts in the baggage handling area.
“Aerocare does not and will not permit the ‘camping out’ that has been shown,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Baggage areas are carefully monitored and recorded by airport and Australian Border Force personnel. We have contacted both parties to confirm whether they have any record of such activity.”
Aerocare also claims Mr Orsaris was with the company for just two months before he quit last June while he was still being trained.
Aerocare says he had not worked any split shifts and had no access to the baggage handling areas that are also used by staff from other companies servicing Sydney Airport.
The claims about Aerocare have emerged as the company undertakes talks with the Transport Workers’ Union about a new pay deal.
The TWU is pushing for minimum shift hours to be extended from three hours to four hours and the removal of any obligation for staff to work split shifts. Staff are currently paid between about $21 an $27 an hour.
Mr Sheldon accused Aerocare of paying “slave wages”.
“This is being allowed to happen because airports and airlines are outsourcing work to low cost companies and not giving a damn about the workers in their supply chains that it affects,” he said in a statement.
Aerocare said staff are offered the chance to work two shifts a day when it effectively doesn’t have enough contracted work for them to make up a longer continuous shift.
It was also committed to “significant” wage increases.
Sydney Airport working conditions risking safety, staff say
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The 730 report. In fact all things "news" in the ABC are merely leftist mouthpieces these days. I can't watch the ABC any more without feeling like throwing something at the TV.
The ABC was once subjective, and had balanced reporting. Those days are gone.
I suspect this is just more ideological support for the unions from the lefties at the ABC.
The ABC was once subjective, and had balanced reporting. Those days are gone.
I suspect this is just more ideological support for the unions from the lefties at the ABC.
The 730 report. In fact all things "news" in the ABC are merely leftist mouthpieces these days. I can't watch the ABC any more without feeling like throwing something at the TV.
The ABC was once subjective, and had balanced reporting. Those days are gone.
I suspect this is just more ideological support for the unions from the lefties at the ABC.
The ABC was once subjective, and had balanced reporting. Those days are gone.
I suspect this is just more ideological support for the unions from the lefties at the ABC.
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Let me think about that for a nanosecond.
Biased reporting in support of the union movement has everything to do with the subject of this thread.
Well, this has bought out all the management types hasn't it?
Sadly the overall standard of Ground Handling in OZ, has been on a downhill slide for years!
Aerocare is not the only one!
Pretty poor when the staff can be rostered to work for just 3 hours pay!
Aerocare is not the only one!
Pretty poor when the staff can be rostered to work for just 3 hours pay!
But it seems when a topic of interest of our fellow aviation workers such as baggage handlers comes out we're all ready to dismiss it as being biased/fake/irrelevant.
Want cheap tickets?
Whilst I find the ABC peddle a lot of lefty nonsense these days too, this situation whilst exaggerated is a bit is worrying. I worked for an airline who used Aerocare and we used them because they are the cheapest. Not the most polished or the most efficient, just cheapest.
General public couldn't care less about bag chuckers sleeping at work as long as the can fly to Goldie for $129 one way.
General public couldn't care less about bag chuckers sleeping at work as long as the can fly to Goldie for $129 one way.
The 730 report. In fact all things "news" in the ABC are merely leftist mouthpieces these days. I can't watch the ABC any more without feeling like throwing something at the TV.
The ABC was once subjective, and had balanced reporting. Those days are gone.
I suspect this is just more ideological support for the unions from the lefties at the ABC.
The ABC was once subjective, and had balanced reporting. Those days are gone.
I suspect this is just more ideological support for the unions from the lefties at the ABC.
Absolutely. I remember lots of times shows such as the 7:30 Report, Four Corners and Foreign Correspondent have been hailed on these forums as brilliant for doing actual investigate journalism into aviation related topics relevant to pilots that commercial media isn't interested in broadcasting. Who remembers how we all hailed the "leftists" at 4 Corners for their expose of CASA/ATSB during the Pelair incident.
But it seems when a topic of interest of our fellow aviation workers such as baggage handlers comes out we're all ready to dismiss it as being biased/fake/irrelevant.
But it seems when a topic of interest of our fellow aviation workers such as baggage handlers comes out we're all ready to dismiss it as being biased/fake/irrelevant.
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Does it really matter if the ABC is left or right or left right out?? The point is that it seems that the handlers are being rostered for 3 hour split shifts on pay so low that they cant afford to go home for the break? Or is that not the case?
If that is the case, is that acceptable in modern Australia?
Wunwing
If that is the case, is that acceptable in modern Australia?
Wunwing
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GA wages for what position? As a GA LAME I certainly made more than that.
This is $12.80/hour for the 15 hours that they were there. If that's true then its a national disgrace
The position of baggage handler is not an entry level position.
Wunwing
This is $12.80/hour for the 15 hours that they were there. If that's true then its a national disgrace
The position of baggage handler is not an entry level position.
Wunwing
Poor Comparison. GA pilots can move on to significantly higher paying jobs as time goes on.
Baggage Handlers don't.
Baggage Handlers don't.
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And where is the Union's outrage at all of this?