Australian airport strikes postponed

Sydney, March 23: Airport strikes planned in Australia on Thursday, which were expected to cause major delays for international travellers, have been called off.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urged Australian border force and airport security workers planning to strike to reconsider in light of the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

"We strongly encourage them, to rethink their call for industrial action and stay at work and pursue their complaints, their disagreements with the government through other means," he told the Seven Network on Wednesday.

Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) national secretary Nadine Flood told reporters on Wednesday the union has agreed to Turnbull's request to postpone the strikes in good faith and conscious of the understandable concerns of travellers in the wake of the Brussels attacks.

"Our members would never take industrial action that compromises Australia's national security at this time or any time, " Flood said.

Strike action was planned due to failed negotiations with the Federal Government about pay and conditions.

IANS