Industrial action is spreading across the federal public service, with staff in two more agencies going on strike today as Customs officers plan major disruptions to international airports.
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CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said last night all-day crisis talks with Customs management had made some progress but staff were still expected to begin 24-hour strikes at international airports from midnight.
''We don't yet have agreement,'' she told The Canberra Times.
Canberra people heading overseas face considerable delays at Sydney and Melbourne airports, while delegations arriving at Perth for CHOGM could be held up.
Acting deputy chief executive officer for Customs and Border Protection Jan Dorrington said contingency plans were being put into place, with a particular focus on visiting dignitaries arriving in Perth.
''We believe these arrangements will enable us to manage CHOGM participants and general passenger arrivals and departures,'' she said.
The 24-hour strike by Customs is a significant upgrading of industrial action as the union negotiates a new enterprise agreement.
Staff have been offered 9per cent over three years but Immigration Department staff have won 11per cent.
More talks today might avert the airport strike but Customs is expected to fly management staff to the airports to cope with the expected widespread industrial action.
Ms Flood said union members at the Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Communications and Media Authority would take industrial action today for the first time in their campaign for a new enterprise agreement.
Staff at the Australian Electoral Commission and AusAID are voting on whether they will take action.
Ms Flood said staff in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry had just voted to reject their agreement for the second time.
''This is similar to what Customs staff did several weeks ago,'' she said.
''I think you can draw a parallel with Customs where staff rejected the agreement for a second time and the employer did not come forward with an acceptable offer.
''We expect there may well be further industrial action [by quarantine officers] if we are not able to reach agreement.''
Ms Dorrington said people catching an international flight tomorrow should go to the airport early and proceed to Customs and Immigration processing as quickly as possible.
