QF Business Bar.....and the Winner is QANTAS. (QF's 2004 Policy "SAFETY COMES LAST")
For QF Flight Attendants -
Fri "The Australian"
Qantas wins on DIY bar service
By Drew Warne-Smith, Industrial relations
February 27, 2004
QANTAS business class passengers will be able to serve themselves alcoholic drinks on long-haul flights for the first time today after a ruling by the Industrial Relations Commission.
The airline's new "business bars" were established in September 2003, but flight attendants have been refusing to allow self-service amid concerns that aircraft safety would be jeopardised.
The Flight Attendants Association of Australia issued a directive last week enforcing the ban, causing the airline to launch industrial action to have the order retracted.
At a hearing on Monday, the IRC strongly recommended that the FAAA reconsider its industrial action, but the association refused.
At yesterday's subsequent hearing, the IRC ordered the FAAA to inform its members that passengers must be allowed unhindered access to the bar.
The assistant secretary of the FAAA, Michael Mijatov, said that flight attendants would heed the ruling, but an appeal would be considered over the next few days.
"We're disappointed in the finding. Our safety concerns were legitimate ones, they're serious concerns, and the fact that the commission has ordered against us doesn't mean those concerns go away," Mr Mijatov said.
Passengers allowed to congregate and drink at the bar would greatly increase the risk of accidents, air rage, underage drinking and drink-spiking, the FAAA has said.
The association also believes the bar flouts responsible service of alcohol requirements and will be outlawed under draft Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations to be implemented in July.
The airline's internal risk-assessment documents would be sought before a final decision on an appeal was made, Mr Mijatov said.
A spokeswoman for Qantas welcomed the decision, but denied that passengers had been refused access to the self-service bar since the airline relaunched its business class facilities on international flights last year.
Qantas has denied the self-service bar is a security risk and described the FAAA's actions as unjustified and unreasonable.
Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic operate similar business bars.
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