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Customs officials, border guards of Australia’s international airports to go on strike

A spokesperson for Australian Workers Union has warned that passengers arriving in the country or leaving it have to be prepared for hours-long delays in going through immigration and customs control

SYDNEY, August 3. /TASS/. Border guards and customs officers at the international airports of Australia will hold a strike on Monday to protest against the government’s policies regarding payment of wages. A spokesperson for Australian Workers Union has warned that passengers arriving in the country or leaving it have to be prepared for hours-long delays in going through immigration and customs control.

According to the spokesperson, customs officers and border guards will go on strike in the country’s largest international airports, including in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.

The strike will be held in several stages. The first will last from the early morning until afternoon (local time), the second is scheduled for the evening hours, and the third - possibly, for Tuesday. The strike is preventive, with border guards and customs officers calling on the government to abandon plans for a significant reduction in their wages. According to the trade unions, the authorities plan to cancel the compensation paid for working overtime and for extra shifts. As a result, customs officers and border guards at the airports may lose up to $8,000 per year.

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