Baggage handlers at Qantas are preparing to go-slow over the Christmas holidays in protest over a new single bag policy. Australia’s flag carrier has announced that people travelling after 1 June who purchase tickets from today will only be permitted one bag. The Transport Workers Union has said it will support the decision to go-slow because union members should not have to put themselves at risk of injury.

According to Tony Sheldon, national secretary of the TWU, the one bag rule will mean passengers will be forced to cram everything into a single piece of baggage where before the weight would have been distributed between two.

Mr Sheldon pointed out that baggage handlers were already prone to back injuries and the new rule would compound the situation. He claimed that Qantas’ management was aware of this as they tended to opt for outsourcing the work rather than risk injury compensation claims.

He added that there had also been no proper risk assessment as to how operations would be affected. He went on to say that this was of particular concern as the airline headed into a very busy period.

A spokeswoman for Qantas said the airline always aimed to maintain the best possible health and safety practices as far as employees were concerned. She added that the single bag policy was similar to the practices of most other international carriers and that many passengers already travelled with only one piece of luggage. She went on to say that bags were rarely packed to the maximum permissible weight.