FAAA Newsletter
13 November 2007
Attention all Qantas Long Haul Flight Attendants
Qantas Agrees To Extra Crew Member!
It is with the greatest pleasure that I can announce that positive progress in EBA negotiations between Qantas and the FAAA has meant that Qantas is able to agree to an extra crew member on B747-400 aircraft configured with the Premium Economy cabin.
In February 2008 you will see the first of the re-configured B747-400 aircraft be rolled out with the new Premium Economy cabin. The re-configuration of the Kangaroo fleet will continue until August 2008, the re-configuration will then commence on the Pacific Fleet.
The first aircraft featuring Premium Economy will fly all services to London via Bangkok. During the first 6 months from launch, services to Hong Kong, San Francisco, Johannesburg and Los Angeles may also feature Premium Economy. All routes to London will have Premium Economy by July.
The Pacific embodiment will be completed by March 2009.
The extra crew member on these services will result in approximately 150 extra full time positions in Long Haul.
Crew have been informed by the FAAA that a prime objective of the current EBA negotiations is job security which can only be achieved by securing extra work and growth in Long Haul. We are pleased to deliver on the first growth instalment in Long Haul for over 5 years! It needs to be stated that work can only be secured from Qantas on the basis of productive change.
The EBA negotiations are continuing on a very intensive and constructive basis. The negotiations are the most complex and complicated in our history, and we will be in a position to publicly discuss matters once these confidential negotiations are concluded.
Finally, as an aside, I ask our members to have faith and confidence in the FAAA and the FAAA negotiating team and not to listen to uninformed gossip or deliberate misinformation by individuals with other agendas. Similarly, any references in the press relating to our negotiations should not be taken as gospel. Just because something is in a press article does not make it accurate or true.
Written and authorised by Michael Mijatov – Secretary International Division