Australian airline Qantas has responded after footage showing baggage handlers deliberately manhandling passengers’ luggage went viral.
A video surfaced showing three baggage handlers at Melbourne Airport smiling as they threw and kicked suitcases and bags, roughly slamming them onto a conveyor belt.
An urgent investigation was initiated by the airline and its baggage handler contractors, following the workers’ “disrespectful” actions.
Footage shows some suitcases bouncing off the belt from the sheer force with which they were thrown. One worker lifted a bag over his head and forcefully slammed it onto the conveyor belt. Another of the handlers is seen throwing a bag aggressively onto the belt from quite a distance, even though it can be seen that there is room on the belt right in front of him.
The handlers’ actions were condemned by Qantas.
“The behaviour in this video is clearly not acceptable, and our contracted ground handler is conducting an urgent investigation,” a Qantas spokesperson told Australian news outlet 7NEWS.
The ground handling services for Qantas at Melbourne Airport are contracted to Swissport.
A spokesperson for the company has confirmed that the handlers in the video have been reprimanded for their actions and suspended, pending further investigation.
“Swissport trains and manages all staff to handle customer possessions with care and diligence,” according to a statement to local media. “The actions of staff in the video appear to have contravened those service level standards. As a result, the staff in question have been stood down pending an urgent investigation,” it continued.
Swissport CEO Brad Moore addressed the incident in an internal e-mail, deeming it “unacceptable.”
“It is with regret that I advise that evidence has emerged today of Swissport Staff handling customer luggage in an unacceptable manner,” the email read.
“Safety, Service, and Quality are at the foundation of who we are. Our 3,000 strong team across the network work hard to ensure these standards are upheld, and it is important that when those standards are breached by a small group of individuals that we take action. The behaviours in the video let all of us down—most importantly our frontline staff who have worked so hard through Post COVID ramp Up to assure quality standards in at times challenging circumstances,” it continued.
The e-mail asserts that disrespectful behavior to customer luggage and personal effects will not be tolerated and will result in serious disciplinary action.
Moore said that since the video was released, he has received many messages from team members across the network, sharing these concerns.
“Rest assured this matter will be investigated with urgency with appropriate follow up action. The unacceptable behavior of a few individuals will not go unchecked nor be allowed to tarnish the quality work of our whole team,” the e-mail concluded.
Qantas has previously come under scrutiny over controversial workplace practices with baggage handling. In 2021, when the company started outsourcing ground handling operations at 10 Australian airports, including Melbourne, it resulted in 2,000 jobs being made redundant.
A federal court deemed the redundancies illegal and the Transport Workers Union has sought compensation for those made redundant. Qantas has since appealed the court’s decision.
