Qantas Baggage Handlers Filmed Slamming Bags

If you check your bags at the airport, you shouldn't expect them to be handled in a specific way. You shouldn't expect them to be thrown around with more force. Video footage of baggage handling at the airport has gone crazy.

Viral video of Melbourne baggage handlers slamming bags

The baggage handler at the airport in Australia can be seen in the video carelessly handling the bags. They slam them with extra force, throw them in the air, and sometimes miss the baggage belt, because they don't gently place them on the belt.

They all seem to enjoy their jobs as they can be seen smiling and laughing in the video about their performance.

Qantas has a contract with Swissport to handle its baggage handling services. Qantas replaced most of its baggage handling staff with outside workers.

All three employees shown in the video have been suspended.

The behavior in this video is clearly not acceptable and our contracted ground handler is investigating. Swissport trains and manages all staff to handle customer possessions with care and diligence, and the actions of staff in the video appear to have violated those service level standards, according to a spokesman for the company.

The context for that isn't known, but this video was first posted on TikTok.

• Was someone with access to the security footage horrified by this, and wanted to expose it?
• Were the baggage handlers proud of this and intentionally posted the video, given that they were even smiling and laughing in the video?

Obviously this is wrong, but…

What is shown in the video is not correct. I don't know why they're having fun slamming bags.

I feel bad for baggage handlers and think about the situation at Qantas.

• Qantas in late 2020 outsourced all of its baggage handler jobs, as a cost cutting measure; Qantas management has repeatedly shown that the company views employees as being completely replaceable (that includes pilots, flight attendants, and more), and that’s reflected here
• Baggage handlers are among the hardest working, lowest paid, and most under appreciated workers in the airline industry, not to even mention the physical toll the job can take; they’re moving heavy bags all day under time pressure, and never really get appreciated for when they do a great job

You should expect that when you check a bag, it won't be handled with care because of the employees pictured here. Except in Japan...

Bottom line

Some baggagehandlers working for Qantas were seen slamming bags at the airport. Is this just how they usually work, or were they filming their own video for entertainment?

All baggage handler have been suspended. Qantas outsourcing all of its baggage handling jobs probably led to all of this happening.

Do you like the video?