This information via the International FAAA-
8 October 2004
Attention all Qantas Long Haul Flight Attendants
Don't Quit Your Day Job for Night Training!
We've all heard the rumours about Qantas employing and training “strike breakers” for upcoming trouble with its long haul cabin crew. Unfortunately, the Association is not able to deny any of them!
Qantas management has confirmed rumours that it is training these fixed term flight attendant recruits at all hours of the day, including at night. When one of the new recruits asked about the “unusual hours” for the training, she was informed that it would “test her suitability for shift work”. This doesn't sound very serious for an airline that is supposed to be serious about training. And how long is the training? Only 7 days of face to face training!
Our office is receiving many calls from distressed individuals, not to mention their parents, all disgusted at the exploitation of these recruits, often very young. The calls we are receiving are repeated reports of people feeling misled by Qantas into taking a job as a fixed term flight attendant. Some say that they were told that they would be offered an 11 month contract so they would leave their jobs, only to find that they have been offered a contract of just 3 months to commence in December. And then Qantas wants to be able to terminate that contact on 4 weeks notice if it doesn't need them!
Remember how keen you were to start as a flight attendant? These fixed termers are no different. The difference is that Qantas appears uncommitted to them. Some of these new recruits are not even going to get proper uniforms – just King Gee pants and a polo top – which they haven't even been issued with yet.
These new recruits are entitled to be FAAA members with all of the EBA entitlements and they also have the right to take protected industrial action . Qantas is even telling them not to speak to anyone outside of their training! Qantas also tried to intimidate these new recruits by having management at their FAAA induction class. This issue has now been resolved with the assistance of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
Please encourage any of these new recruits to join the FAAA and contact the FAAA with their concerns and get the real story. We want to make them permanent Australian based cabin crew and stop this use of people by Qantas eager to train as flight attendants.
Written and authorised by Michael Mijatov – Divisional Secretary
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Those new recruits who may wish to contact the FAAA for information regarding the situation they face may reach the FAAA at-
Sydney-9267-952
Toll free-1800-267952
You owe it to yourselves to be FULLY informed.
L2P "S.T.R."
Last edited by Left2primary; 8th Oct 2004 at 06:38.