QF Baggage Handlers Want Reduction In Baggage Weight

[Marty H]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=67340

[Shameel Kumar]

Well they're asking for the weight limit to be reduced to 20kg... if QF are willing to budge I'm guessing they'll go down to 23kg to be in-line with other carriers.

Wouldn't it be to QF's benefit to lower their baggage weight allowance since it means a slight weight saving for each flight?

Also, for flights to USA, is there a rule set by the FAA that airlines have to offer at least 32kg baggage allowance, or would QF be able to lower their baggage weight allowance for flights to/from USA?

[Marty H]

They are asking for 20kg to be the maximum, now lets look at QF and there aircraft and the way they are loaded B737-400 and B737-800 have sliding carpets in both the forward and rear holds, making it easier to stack the bags, generally start with heavier bags at the bottom and as you move higher the person sending the bags up should send up lighter bags, myself I generally know I will get 20 bags in a row, so when Im sending bags to the person in the hold I generally will send up heavier bags for the first 10 and then the last 10 they will be lighter bags.

B767-300 are all containers apart from the small rear compartment in the tail but a majority of bags in this situation are loaded into the container in the bag room where the person is standing up right and shouldnt pose to much of an issue with injury.

Dash 8 all versions would be manually loaded but they are fairly high holds so a person could just about load them standing up.

My 2 cents a whole lot of bleating over nothing, Im 6ft 5ins tall and I havent had any injuries thus far, IMO its all how a person approaches the job and if they choose to do it correctly or not as to weather they get injuried.

If QF BH want to complain about loading a hold they should go have a look at a Skywest F100 hold where the guy stacks it lying down.

[Sarah C]

If you can't lift 32kg, get out of the job! Previous generations have done it for many years. I am sure there are people who would be happy to do the job.

The funny thing is it is probably only a matter of time until technology makes the handlers irrelevant. While I agree some people bring everything with them on a trip, 20kgs is difficult for an international trip. Making the limit 2 20kg bags actually increases the work for handlers.

[D Chan]

ACA just ran a story on the issue and they interviewed an union rep. ACA also did a demonstration with the host lifting a 32 kg bag, and having an 8 yr old child lifting a 20 kg bag. The LTI injury figures were then mentioned by Tracey - and according to her, the Lost time injuries (from baggage handling) has dropped every year for the last few years. Responding to that the union official claimed Qantas has lied about their figures. I would assume that if the baggage handlers were injured, they would report it and the stats that come out wouldn't lie.

Sarah, your point is quite interesting because when that technology comes (eventually), the unions will probably switch their focus from 'injuries' to 'loss of work' etc.

[Shameel Kumar]

Originally Posted by D Chan

..the unions will probably switch their focus from 'injuries' to 'loss of work' etc.

Unions.... uhh...

If you can't lift 32kg, get out of the job! Previous generations have done it for many years. I am sure there are people who would be happy to do the job.

Agreed!! If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! I for one am one of those people who would happy take up a baggage handling job at an airport.

[Marty H]

Originally Posted by Sarah C

If you can't lift 32kg, get out of the job! Previous generations have done it for many years. I am sure there are people who would be happy to do the job.

The funny thing is it is probably only a matter of time until technology makes the handlers irrelevant. While I agree some people bring everything with them on a trip, 20kgs is difficult for an international trip. Making the limit 2 20kg bags actually increases the work for handlers.

Generally speaking in a day you would be lucky to lift 20x30kg+ bags, get alot between 20-30kg though, but once again comes to how you approach the job and weather you choose to go about it the correct way or the incorrect way. Where they got the figures that 80% of the bags are over 20kg from I will never know, simply isnt true, I go away for a week with the kids and stuff and barely reach 15kgs in bag weight.