Qantas engineers hold off strike Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print December 23, 2007
A STRIKE of more than 1,500 Qantas engineers will remain in the wings until the new year, with the airline today offering an olive branch to the technicians' union.
More than 1,700 aircraft engineers will walk off the job on January 9 in protest against growing casualisation of the workforce and erosion of working conditions.
Almost 90 per cent of members from the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) voted for the action following the breakdown of enterprise negotiations with the airline.
It would represent the largest disruption to the nation's air travel since the 1989 pilots' strike, and threatens holidaying plans for thousands.
Tensions again mounted between the two sides today, with informal talk of bringing the action closer to Christmas - traditionally the busiest time for Australia's airlines.
ALAEA federal secretary Steve Purvinas said the engineers were loath to disrupt Christmas and new year travel, but strike action could go ahead if Qantas took hostile action.
"ALAEA won't be acting before January 9," Mr Purvinas said.
"The only possibility (of that) would be if Qantas decides to start locking out employees.
"We don't want to disrupt the holiday or Christmas and new year and hopefully we can have meaningful discussions with the airline."
A lock-out - where the airline sends employees home without pay until further notice, and replaces them with casual or other workers - was not in Qantas's interests, Mr Purvinas said.
Qantas executive general manager engineering David Cox dismissed the suggestion.
"We are not going to do that,'' he said.
Executive general manager people Kevin Brown said Qantas remained committed to finding a solution to the issue.
"There are no plans for a lock-out at this stage,'' Mr Brown said.
"We will resume negotiations with the union on January 4."