Virgin Australia’s premium flyers will board alongside everyone else today, with Australian Services Union (ASU) members withdrawing priority boarding and other premium services at Virgin gates as part of escalating protected industrial action.
ASU members at airports will not accept baggage at gates and will waive fees on eligible sales-related transactions. This comes after negotiations before the Fair Work Commission last week failed to resolve the dispute over a new enterprise agreement.
Members say that Virgin is pushing them to deliver a premium airline experience on budget airline conditions, after years of cuts that have left workers exhausted.
Virgin’s frontline workers and passengers want the same thing: an airline that’s staffed well and delivers the premium service customers pay for. When staff are stretched with longer hours and fewer days off to recover, the decline is felt by passengers, with longer wait times, rushed service, and other challenges.
“Virgin wants to run a premium model on budget resources. This is simply not sustainable for our members or passengers,” ASU Assistant National Secretary, Scott Cowen said.
Virgin workers played an instrumental role in carrying the airline through the COVID pandemic and its time in administration when thousands of jobs were cut and remaining staff accepted a wage freeze to help the airline recover. Since then, workers have been asked to do more with fewer staff numbers and passengers have felt the loss of experienced workers at airports and customer contact centres.
“Employees have always stuck by the company, and instead of rewarding them at a time they need it most, Virgin Australia is trying to remove their hard-earned entitlements” Mr Cowen said.
ASU members have made it clear that Virgin management’s latest offer is not acceptable and falls well short of expectations. Their key concerns are:
Proposed introduction of nine-hour shifts
Pay outcomes that do not adequately reflect or recognise their work
Proposed cuts to days in lieu
“Nine-hour shifts on your feet for shift workers with no proper place to sit or rest will lead to the burn-out of several of Virgin’s best workers. It is essential Virgin Australia prioritises worker health and safety.
“When experienced staff leave, passengers take notice,” Mr Cowen said.
The dispute comes after Virgin reported a 21.9% jump in net profit to $404 million in 2025-26.
“Virgin’s workers and passengers are on the same team. Management needs to invest in the people who built this result. The work does not stop being hard just because a company decides it is not worth paying properly for,” Mr Cowen said.
In a Fair Work Commission-approved ballot that closed on 21 October, ASU members voted in favour of protected industrial action, starting with low-level action last week when members wore union materials, left off some uniform staples, handed out flyers, and spoke to passengers about why they’re taking a stand.
Members have planned the action to keep disruptions to a minimum, although passengers will face some delays at the gates. Travellers are encouraged to allow extra time to check their baggage at the counter.
