Protected industrial action commenced this week by employees of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs) and will continue until Friday 26 June 2015, affecting various airports and visa processing.

As a leading provider of employment and migration law services, PCS is keen to ensure that employers and employees alike are aware of and prepared to deal with the potential implications of this industrial action personally and for their organisations over the coming period.

Background

Employees of DIBP and Customs have this week commenced industrial action in connection with the negotiation of the terms and conditions of employment under their proposed new enterprise agreement.

This industrial action will take the form of half day strikes.

Various airports will likely be affected by the strikes, at the locations and dates provided below:

• 18 June 2015 – Sydney, Perth and Darwin
• 24 June 2015 – Brisbane and Gold Coast
• 25 June 2015 – Melbourne

How will this affect you?

Employers

Employers may be affected by delays arising from the industrial action in a number of ways, including:

• possible delays in processing visa applications for existing employees or newly recruited expats;
• visitors, including but not limited to clients, may have their travel schedules disrupted, resulting in disruption to the employer’s business; and
• employers may face the need to exercise a degree of flexibility with arrival dates for employees or make arrangements to enable employees to work remotely if they are likely to be impacted by the strikes.

We recommend that employers take steps to understand, and be prepared for, the potential impact of these delays on their employees, visitors and their business operations over the coming period. This may include drafting communications for employees and others who may be impacted by the delays, informing them of the potential delays and encouraging them to ensure there is flexibility in their travel plans and the scheduling of any other work-related commitments to accommodate any delays.

Employees

Employees who have applied for a visa should plan accordingly for the delays in the coming weeks as this may impact on their ability to commence work, undertake travel (in-bound or out-bound) or change visa status.

Current employees who are required to undertake travel in connection with their work should similarly consider the potential impact of the delays and plan accordingly.

What can PCS do for you?

PCS can assist you in any number of ways in managing the potential impact of the delays arising from the industrial action by DIBP and Customs employees, from drafting communications with employees to providing advice on the potential implications of delays in the processing of visas.

If you would like any advice in respect of the above, please contact us.