FAAA NEWSLETTER
2 December 2005
Attention all Qantas Long Haul Flight Attendants
NEW YORK SHUTTLE DISPENSATION
VOTE YES
On 22 September 2005 the FAAA wrote to you advising that the dispensation for the shuttle between LAX-JFK-LAX was going to be continued until a final decision was made by a postal ballot of members. We are now forwarding the ballot paper to you to vote on this issue, in line with our commitment that members will decide this matter.
The primary reason for the dispensation as advised to you on 23 March 2005 was “to provide job security for our members. The transfer of our flying to overseas based crew is not in the strategic interests of our membership or the long term viability of the Long Haul Division.”
It is a credit to our members that the overwhelming majority understand the importance of protecting our flying and hence our job security in the very difficult situation that confronts the Long Haul Division. This understanding is reflected by the fact that the FAAA has had very minimal negative feedback from the broader membership about the dispensation. In fact, it is heartening that whilst not necessarily liking the dispensation, most members understand that it is about protecting their jobs and have been supportive of the FAAA’s stance on this issue.
The Perth Long Haul Base closure should highlight in a very concrete manner the danger to job security that exists in this Division. The personal trauma and stress experienced by our members in Perth because of the base closure cannot be overstated. The example of Perth CANNOT be allowed to be repeated and develop into an imminent and broader threat to our wider membership. This means we have to be practical and we must take all reasonable measures to protect our flying and our job security. IT IS NOT ABOUT “ROLLING OVER” BUT IT IS ABOUT BEING PRACTICAL AND SENSIBLE.
The introduction of the Federal Government’s menacing Industrial Relations laws also requires a very considered and deliberate strategy to protect our flying and hence our job security.
I and other senior officials of the FAAA do not have the luxury to gamble with your future,
NOR WILL WE. We will not be diverted from taking tough decisions or even recommending unpopular measures if it is necessary to ensure no person from this Division loses their job. That is our primary obligation to you and we intend to fulfill that obligation, even in the face of elements of the membership who are only too happy to advise a NO vote on the dispensation and who would then run for cover if Qantas decides that Long Haul crew are totally inflexible and compulsory redundancies are initiated and members lose their jobs against their will.
Members who attended the recent FAAA membership meetings throughout the country will be aware that the over-riding theme at those meetings was JOB SECURITY.
We remind members of the following facts about the JFK dispensation:
- The JFK patterns are being actively bid for by our crew.
- On the very few occasions that the shuttle has gone beyond 17 hours, crew have voted to extend their tour of duty.
- The actual average tour of duty for this sector (based on last winter) is 14’59” only 59 minutes beyond what the Company could have automatically planned for.
- The FAAA has received a fatigue report on the JFK shuttle from a leading Australian expert on fatigue. The conclusion of this report does not support the withdrawal of the dispensation based on fatigue grounds.
- Withdrawal of the dispensation will result in AKL overseas based crew doing the shuttle. This will mean substantial displacement of our crew from LAX patterns.
- There are implications for new generation aircraft that may be ordered by Qantas. If we refuse to be flexible, then Qantas may decide that international flying on these new aircraft should not be allocated to Long Haul crew.
Qantas now has at its disposal other Qantas Group cabin crew who can do International flying that in years gone by was solely done by Long Haul. These other cabin crew employees are often more cost effective to utilise. Just yesterday Qantas announced that it will withdraw from Cairns- Narita and that this flying would be transferred to Australian Airlines. It is also widely expected that Qantas will shortly announce the creation of Jetstar International which has a huge potential to threaten our traditional flying.
We must therefore be prepared to deal with these realities without necessarily liking this situation. Not to do so will provide an incentive for more of “our traditional” flying to be transferred to others. If further international flying is transferred from the Long Haul Division, then job security of our cabin crew will be threatened.
We have a surplus of crew situation in Long Haul, we have other Qantas Group cabin crew who stand ready to do our traditional flying, we have a hostile Industrial Relations environment and we have Qantas critically examining what it sees as a “very costly” International Division.
In this environment it is essential to be flexible and to use every opportunity to protect our flying and our jobs. The FAAA position is therefore clear and unambiguous. We are strongly advocating a continuation of the dispensation in order that YOUR job security is maintained.
I ask you to accept our strong recommendation to you to vote YES to the New York Shuttle dispensation. Do not allow misguided and ill-informed comment to influence you to vote no. I cannot stress too strongly, a NO vote WILL have very adverse implications for your job security.
We believe our membership is sensible and pragmatic. We don’t believe that our members will reject the dispensation and provide further incentive for Qantas to marginalise the Long Haul Division. The prime objective of the FAAA is to protect our employment. We intend to do that in a very difficult environment that confronts us, with your continuing support.
VOTE YES AND PROTECT YOUR JOB!
Written and authorised by Michael Mijatov – Secretary – International Division on behalf of the Divisional Executive – International Division.