Qantas airport workers began a 24-hour strike on Thursday at airports in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, seeking higher pay, more secure jobs and improved safety standards. Australia's Transport Worker's Union said the action includes employees from Qantas Ground Services, Australian air Express freight operations and regional carrier QantasLink. Workers are seeking pay rises aligned with industry standards, more full-time roles and the consolidation of work groups under a single Qantas structure, arguing that the airline's use of multiple subsidiaries has fragmented the workforce and weakened safety. Up to 400 safety screeners in Sydney are also holding two separate two-hour stoppages and plan a further three-hour stoppage on September 28. The union says Qantas needs a fundamental reset after years of cost-cutting. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas outsourced more than 1,800 Australian ground-worker jobs covering its broader network; a court later ruled the action illegal and ordered the airline to pay a record A$90 million ($64.03 million) fine. Qantas did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.