Split Shifts !

Centuries ago the utopian aim in socialist thinking was a day that formed three distinct segments.  Eight hours to work and earn a living.  Eight hours to sleep and rejuvenate the body - and eight hours for family and leisure.   In todays world few get eight hours sleep, a lot of people are desperately seeking more work time to improve their earnings - and that leisure component for many is based on working just five days in every seven.

The Transport Workers Union has shone the spotlight on work practices at Mascot, Australia's busiest airport.  Because of split shifts, some workers spend fourteen hours of each working day within the airport confines and the union claims that this is imposing " third world "  conditions on Australian employees.

An army of people work for Aerocare, a service company that provides baggage handling, the loading and unloading of aircraft and the manning of towing vehicles that assist aircraft to dock at the terminal and move between maintenance facilities.   The union claims that these are "low paid ".   They certainly do not draw the salaries of aircraft captains, but their pay is subjected to an award thrashed out between the union and employers and the current enterprise agreement was signed off in February, 2013.

Airports are busy places, but they are also subject to load peaks and Sydney Kingsford Smith is specially prone because it has imposed a night flight curfew to prevent aircraft engine noise from disturbing the sleep of city residents.   Because of this, the work load consists of " split shifts " and sometimes there is a six hour gap between the end of one shift and the commencement of another. Few employees bother to return home during this down time.

The union points to the common practice of such employees finding a discreet nook out of public sight and creating a " nest " with airport blankets and cushions in which to rest, perhaps read a book or enjoy a few hours sleep.   The unions condemn this practice, but split shifts were an agreed item when the award was negotiated and it was necessary to ensure that the running costs of Sydney airport remained consistent with world standards.

Aerocare services the needs of the aviation world and should the handling costs become disproportionate to those that apply at other hubs flight schedules can quickly divert to where the costs lead to the lowest ticket prices.   Such is the competition in the air services world.

This is a problem that relates to other industries and it seems inevitable that it will steadily worsen. Every check reveals that the commute time in Sydney gets longer and it is not practical to go home and expect to return with a degree of time certainty - and that is an essential in many forms of employment.   What can be achieved at a country airport such as Devonport in Tasmania is impossible in Sydney.

Probably the furore over split shifts at Sydney airport will have a strong bearing on future award negotiations in the food and beverages industries.   Many already work split shifts to accommodate the lunch and evening meal peaks and how employees spend that down time will come under the microscope.

Putting an end to split shifts can only result in increased costs !