Aerocare exposed

[wheels_down]

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'

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 (http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/staff-claim-shocking-conditions-fatigue-are-compromising-safety-at-sydney-airport/news-story/d8b68dd46c76471afc425c0eeb02ffc2)

[Eddie Dean]

The 730 report have history of distorting facts about things aviation
Maybe they can force a Senate Inquiry.

[IsDon]

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.

[dr dre]

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.

What does that have to do about the topic at hand? Just a frothing at the mouth rant about "lefties" when you got triggered by seeing the words "7:30 report"

[IsDon]

What does that have to do about the topic at hand? Just a frothing at the mouth rant about "lefties" when you got triggered by seeing the words "7:30 report"

What's it got to do with the topic at hand?????

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.

[honda125]

Those images don't look realistic ,it looks like a setup. Who wouldn't pack their personal items away for the next shift.

GA pilots have been living like that for years.

[gordonfvckingramsay]

Well, this has bought out all the management types hasn't it?

[Boe787]

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!

[dr dre]

Well, this has bought out all the management types hasn't it?

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.

[pilotchute]

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.

[AerialPerspective]

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.
I think you mean 'objective' not 'subjective'... and I disagree, it only appears 'left' because of the overwhelming avalanche of right wing crap in the likes of Sky News and the commercial stations. SBS is probably the best news now, balance of local and international.

[AerialPerspective]

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.
Spot on. Exactly, when it's of interest it's great journalism, when it's facts are irrelevant or of no interest to the reader it's 'leftist'... the people on the 'right' think they're so much more intelligent than people on the 'left' yet many of them, the best comeback they can think of is 'leftard'... (not even a word).

[Eaglet]

I agree with some of the above posters, ABC these days is pretty much just leftwing propaganda. haven't watched the 730 report for years.

[Wunwing]

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

[Left 270]

$192 dollars a day for a 8hr split over 15hrs! Paid well above GA wages and probably better conditions ;)

[Wunwing]

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

[PoppaJo]

Poor Comparison. GA pilots can move on to significantly higher paying jobs as time goes on.

Baggage Handlers don't.

[Pinky the pilot]

And where is the Union's outrage at all of this?:confused:

[Left 270]

Obviously some jest there Gents. But it's more than a single piston wage and a twin piston wouldn't be much more would it?

[Wunwing]

I thought that Tony Sheldon from the TWU, who featured on the ABC show last night sounded outraged?
Or was that only my left wing bias?
Wunwing

[compressor stall]

Poor Comparison. GA pilots can move on to significantly higher paying jobs as time goes on.

Baggage Handlers don't.

Yes they can. They can become 'aviation experts" get interviews on tv and have biased airline ranking websites.

[IsDon]

How is comparing GA pilots or LAMEs remuneration against bag chuckers valid?

Pilots and LAMEs are both skilled positions that are remunerated way below what they should be. If bag chuckers want more, then maybe they should have listened to their parents, paid attention in school and qualified for something better.

I tell my kids that if they don't want to spend their lives cleaning up after the rest of society (or chucking bags) for a living, then do their homework.

[gtseraf]

IsDon

Spot on. We are in trouble if people start comparing pilot and Lame pay and career prospects to baggage handlers'.

I think we are ignoring/forgetting the QUALIFICATIONS involved in becoming a pilot/Lame compared to unskilled labour. These qualifications have a value and we are selling that value off way too cheaply.

[Wunwing]

Isdon.

I would really like to live in your world where good jobs depend on if you concentrated at school. Unfortunately in modern Australia that is not necessarily the case anymore.

The SMH has an article this morning about how as a society we are heading to part time work being the norm for most. That is certainly what I am seeing in my kids generation and the ones that I know are all uni graduates so I suspect that they did concentrate at school. We appear as a society to be heading towards the US model of multiple part time low paid jobs just as we find ourselves in the place where the most expensive housing in the World. How anybody could find accommodation in a major city on $50000 a year with a median house price of a $million is beyond me.

The point here is that with a low hourly rate and odd hours these guys are caught in a bind. Their total daily rate is about $13 an hour but unlike other part timers, they are not in a position to pick up other work during the "break". If they voluntarily leave to look for another job they get no income for what will probably be a long search and I doubt if they will have built up much cash on $50,000 a year living in a big city

In the past in what I think was a more caring world, there were 2 kinds of jobs. Lets call the categories "intellectual" and "physical" and the pay for most wasn't all that much different. The "physical" pay reflected the fact that the work was unpleasant and carried physical risk. I think that the latter category aptly describes a baggage handler where most that I knew over my long airline career had bad backs , knees etc.

I think as an industry we can do better and if we had, I suspect it would be a less cutthroat business than it is today.

Wunwing

[IsDon]

Isdon.

I would really like to live in your world where good jobs depend on if you concentrated at school. Unfortunately in modern Australia that is not necessarily the case anymore.

The SMH has an article this morning about how as a society we are heading to part time work being the norm for most. That is certainly what I am seeing in my kids generation and the ones that I know are all uni graduates so I suspect that they did concentrate at school.


You're correct. I forgot to mention. I also tell my kids don't waste your time, and my money, on Arts degrees. Best way I know to a job flipping burgers.

[Metro man]

They'd be better off taxi driving, which has some of the worst pay and conditions in the country.

[Wunwing]

Isdon.

I know a number who do have arts degrees and they all have good jobs. Its the more specialised degrees that seem to be a problem. But that is outside of the scope of this discussion.

Historically, as an industry, we have been very fractured industrially. In Qantas at one stage there were 26 unions who mostly "hated" each other. That allowed the employer and the Government to play each one off against the other. As a result, we are where we are today.


The reality of the IR process is that each workplace agreement is compared to the others and if there is a particularly bad agreement, like this one appears to be, then every other agreement including pilots agreements is subject to downward pressure. During my negotiating time I'd like a $100 for every time management produced a pie chart where all the wedges except pilots costs had gone down but our wedge had grown larger because we had held out position.

"Bagging" ( pun intended)others in your industry is always a dangerous tactic, as is eliteism.

Wunwing

[Pinky the pilot]

I thought that Tony Sheldon from the TWU, who featured on the ABC show last night sounded outraged?

I obviously missed that.:}

[Boe787]

Well maybe the ABC does lean left, but that just counters the right wing Murdoch/Sky News side of the Media!

As an industry as Wunwing alludes to, it's pretty poor that colleagues are forced to work split shifts, to get something like a full time wage, and spend 15 hours away from family in order to do so!
I believe one handling company in oz, has a 2 hour minimum shift!

[Wunwing]

Pinky.

Tony Sheldon from the TWU was definitely on the version of the 730 report that I saw. He was interspersed with the younger employee who spoke on the problems.

Wunwing

[Clare Prop]

I know quite a few CPL students who have worked for Aerocare while building up their flying hours as the work is flexible, I don't think many would see it as a lifetime career.

Compressor Stall I take it you are referring to GT, nice one LOL :D

[Ozgrade3]

There is one critical point that is missed by everyone.

The airlines have the ground handling companies by the balls. They pay a set amount of $ per turnaround. For a SAAB it used to be about $125-150. It may be more now but probably not. the airlines treat it as a take it or leave it offer.

Now not all staff are on split shifts. Newbies and the low performers get the rough end of the pineapple. Better performing staff get much longer shifts. Out of a gang of 20 there would be 6-8 on long shifts and the rest come in for the morning and evening smash periods. You simply cannot have 20 people sitting around at mid-day or the company would go broke. Aerocare, Qantas, Virgin, Tiger, Menzies et al do the same thing.

I worked for Aerocare from 2000 to 2007. I had a great time there, learned heaps about the nuts and bolts of ramp ops and made some good coin too at the same time I was a junior instructor. It's very hard work and you do need your wits about you, especially when it's busy and at night.

You would be surprised at some of the qualifications of rampies. CPL's, sparkies, carpenters, mechanics, engineering trades of all types. Anyone who looks down on rampies should do it for a few months.

[PoppaJo]

It really depends on the Airport and the business available. In the past they have operated out of places like Alice Springs where Tiger only ran 4 flights a week. That's a maximum of 12hrs a week for the ground crew. Compared to the Tiger Melbourne base which has flights leaving every half hour or so.

Above is spot on, the carriers have the final say. I remember back to when Tiger Airways started and they refused to buy those Mobile Lift Machines for the handicapped, something about passengers crawling down stairs would be cheaper than buying these thousand dollar machines that go up and down. Needless to say the lawyers were lining up quick smart and Aerocare was told to buy the lifts before they were sued.

[AerialPerspective]

Isdon.

I know a number who do have arts degrees and they all have good jobs. Its the more specialised degrees that seem to be a problem. But that is outside of the scope of this discussion.

Historically, as an industry, we have been very fractured industrially. In Qantas at one stage there were 26 unions who mostly "hated" each other. That allowed the employer and the Government to play each one off against the other. As a result, we are where we are today.


The reality of the IR process is that each workplace agreement is compared to the others and if there is a particularly bad agreement, like this one appears to be, then every other agreement including pilots agreements is subject to downward pressure. During my negotiating time I'd like a $100 for every time management produced a pie chart where all the wedges except pilots costs had gone down but our wedge had grown larger because we had held out position.

"Bagging" ( pun intended)others in your industry is always a dangerous tactic, as is eliteism.

Wunwing
We are captive to a media mantra... that unions are bad and business persons are good... leaners and lifters comes to mind... it is US-ecntric BS rhetoric and it needs to be stamped out. Yes, if unions do the wrong thing and get away with it then that means government is doing a p-sspoor job of regulating them.
The killer to this argument is that one of the richest countries in Europe and the world in fact is the Federal Republic of Germany. A country that is heavily, heavily unionised, that pays high wages and produces mostly very well made goods and has an excellent pension system/superannuation. I doubt you'll see people in Germany not being able to afford a house or working for 3 hours then doing another 6 hours 5 hours later without enough money to go home in the middle. Germany proves it can work and all this union bashing and manipulation of the law to produce pathetic situations like the one in this thread doesn't need to be the case. Like anything, there needs to be a balance.

[AerialPerspective]

It really depends on the Airport and the business available. In the past they have operated out of places like Alice Springs where Tiger only ran 4 flights a week. That's a maximum of 12hrs a week for the ground crew. Compared to the Tiger Melbourne base which has flights leaving every half hour or so.

Above is spot on, the carriers have the final say. I remember back to when Tiger Airways started and they refused to buy those Mobile Lift Machines for the handicapped, something about passengers crawling down stairs would be cheaper than buying these thousand dollar machines that go up and down. Needless to say the lawyers were lining up quick smart and Aerocare was told to buy the lifts before they were sued.
It comes down to you get what you pay for... take security for example. AAA is mandatory for international but not for domestic (pax and bag match is mandatory but the technology and regulation requiring bag manifests is not). NO LCC I know of, nor VA which is supposed to be a premium carrier use it domestically but QF does. Now, that says to me that QF spend money on decent technology which among other things, stops baggage handlers and ramp personnel from having to take every container off an aircraft to find a bag, rather, knowing exactly where it is because of AAA. That's why it costs more to travel much of the time on QF as opposed to TT. I will NEVER fly TT, I only use VA if it's getting rid of points. If I was stuck somewhere and TT was the only option, I'd hire a car and drive or catch a train.

[Wunwing]

I accept that a carrier into Alice Springs would be justified in using part timers for a few flights a week. I've never been there but I suspect getting between town and the airport would not take long. The big problem with Sydney is the distances those on this wage would have to travel to get back home and also the cost of parking or train. An in between job is just not realistic.

However, if the EBA included a reasonable wage, with a loading for split shifts, then the airlines would have to pay up as no contractor is going to tender below their costs plus a margin.

The real long term problem here is the award/work agreement which allows this to happen. In the past I have been involved in awards which recognised geographical differences. For airline pilots this is seen in meal allowances for different ports rather than a blanket daily rate. Hidden away are many more.

One of the "sleepers" here which if not corrected come back to bite all of us including pilots is the recent decision on Sunday work for hospitality. The basis of this decision is that Sunday is no longer a special day. For pilots and others who don't get paid extra for Sunday work, if you look carefully at you WPA you will find that your weekly/annual wage includes an inbuilt Sunday and Saturday work margin. It seems to me that the next step in the Sunday saga is to move it to all categories of weekend workers which will ultimately
impact on agreements with this inbuilt margin.

Wunwing

[pistonpuffer]

What does that have to do about the topic at hand? Just a frothing at the mouth rant about "lefties" when you got triggered by seeing the words "7:30 report"

Yes, but with the ABC there is susceptibility to union spin, they are usually not balanced, a shame because if they get things right then no one believes them.

[TWT]

Worker locked in aircraft cargo hold raises questions over Aerocare safety record - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-20/worker-locked-in-cargo-hold-raise-questions-on-aerocare-safety/8379418)