Australian skydivers went on strike on Friday over a pay disagreement with the industry’s dominant employer, amid claims experienced instructors will be forced to “pick up a paintbrush” to supplement their income if they give in.
The rolling industrial action against Experience Co across eight sites in NSW, Victoria and Queensland has prompted the adventure tourism company to reschedule parachute jumps at the start of the peak summer season.
The strike, which could spill over into next week, is the first of its kind for skydivers, and follows 10 months of stalled negotiations for an enterprise agreement.
One instructor on strike told Guardian Australia the workforce unionised after enduring years of changing pay structures.
“There are top level guys with 25,000 jumps under their belt, and all of a sudden they’ll need to pick up a paintbrush and start painting to make ends meet,” said the instructor, who asked not to be identified.
“You don’t get into skydiving for the money but you do want to make more than someone working at Coles or Woolies. It’s almost a career, but not quite.”
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Skydivers in Australia traditionally worked as sole traders, paid per jump, before they shifted towards an employee-based model in recent years.
The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) said Experience Co wants to cut the minimum annual wage for instructors to less than $50,000, with additional earnings dependent on what it describes as a “very low” per-jump rate.
It is seeking a safety net of up to $75,000 for experienced instructors.
“Tandem skydiving instructors literally take people’s lives in their hands every time they go to work,” AWU national organiser Jonathan Cook said.
“Would you want your mum strapped to an underpaid instructor?”
An experienced instructor “jumping hard” with more than 1,000 jumps a year can expect to earn about $100,000, according to skydivers interviewed by Guardian Australia.
The union said most of the company’s skydivers had seen little to no base wage increases in decades.
Experience Co is a listed company that employs about 130 skydivers as part of a broader tourism business that includes reef tours, high ropes courses and luxury bush stays.
It has rejected the union’s claims and said its pay proposals have included “six-figure” salary offers.
While its skydiving revenue has rebounded in recent years, which includes a 5% boost in 2024-25 driven by returning international tourists, revenue is still below pre-pandemic levels, according to analysis of the company’s accounts.
The business model relies on customers also paying for pictures and video of their experience.
The chief executive of Experience Co, John O’Sullivan, described the union-organised strike as “reckless and unnecessary” at a time the business was still recovering from the pandemic.
“We are at a loss to understand this action given the strength of our offers. We call upon the union to return to the bargaining table with reasonable expectations so we can come to an agreement as quickly as possible,” O’Sullivan said.
“The union’s outrageous actions don’t just hurt us, they send shockwaves through local communities, damaging small businesses and threatening regional economies.”
AAP contributed to this report
