Qantas In Damage Control Mode After Melbourne Swissport Workers Are Caught Violently Abusing Baggage

Swissport contract workers handling baggage for their customer Qantas were caught on videotape throwing bags violently on the belt and all over the place, causing frustration among customers.

The abuse has sent Qantas into damage control mode as they are ultimately responsible for all bags that are checked in with them, and customers weren’t impressed after the footage aired on national news.

Qantas exclusively uses contract workers to handle baggage belonging to their passengers since the carrier has slimmed down operations and they no longer employ their own baggage handlers.

Having someone else do the hard work for them doesn’t indemnify Qantas from claims by passengers arising from damages that incur while the suitcases were under the care of the carrier.

In short, if baggage handlers anywhere in the world treat the bags like trash and violently throw them around the carousel or wherever sorting takes place, then the carrier is on the hook for compensation and even worse, a video such as the one taken in this instance (still unclear who set up this camera and why) then it deters customer to check in bags or book the airline in the first place.

Here are a couple of videos related to the current incident:

Apparently, someone thought it was funny that this occurs as a matter of daily business and thought that a TikTok video would be the right course of action to get a few laughs in for the weekend.

Not so much anymore, as it turned out. The video went viral, alright, but the effect wasn’t exactly a laughing matter.

According to the news reports, Qantas has launched an investigation into the shenanigans at Melbourne Airport as far as the baggage handling is concerned and the handlers in question which are employed by Swissport are no longer allowed to engage in any work for Qantas-related services again.

There is absolutely zero doubt that handling baggage is backbraking work and that workers should be able to do their job in an adequate work enironment and at fair pay. Apparently there is still a labor dispute going on at the moment and it has been so for several month but this incident isn’t related to that.

The individuals shown in this video simply display unprofessional behavior with zero respect for the property of others as well as their employment. Working in sensitive areas of the airport, you’re in a position of trust and usually have passed a criminal background check. Why behave like this?

This reminds me of something I saw in June when I flew to Phuket and, just out of interest, watched baggage being “handled” on the tarmac in Bangkok in plain sight of passengers on the plane. A trolley was opened rather carelessly, a few bags fell out from a pretty high position and were them kicked around the tarmac by the baggage handlers. Unacceptable!

Conclusion

Qantas has a PR problem on its hands as a video which was allegedly first uploaded to TikTok surfaced showing baggage handlers of contractor Swissport abusing luggage belonging to QF customers at Melbourne Airport.

The airline now tries to appease customers by conducting an investigation into the matter and the involved employees have already been removed from work for Qantas, although Swissport might keep them around to work for other airline clients. Who knows if Swissport can or will fire these guys but such things aren’t limited to two folks in Melbourne.

I feel bags are being cared for a lot less these days than in the past. In the last 20 years I’ve never gotten so many damaged and scratched bags returned from the belt as compared to the last 2 years. It seems Covid has removed most of the responsible people and only those with no respect for other peoples property are left.