Qantas union raises spectre of holiday flight disruptions
Jessica Wright, Kelly Burke
November 23, 2011
QANTAS passengers could be stranded during the Christmas holidays after a leading unionist refused to rule out further industrial action against the airline.
The national secretary of the Transport Workers Union, Tony Sheldon, said yesterday that his union intended to negotiate and proceed with the compulsory Fair Work Australia arbitration process in the dispute between the airline and workers.
But Mr Sheldon accused Qantas of using ''militant'' tactics, and said union members would ''exercise their rights'' if they were dissatisfied with the process.
''If the company refuses to negotiate with us in good faith, leading up to and through the arbitration process, then there is every possibility that there would be further disruptions that would occur in the aviation industry,'' he said.
''We are not looking for that fight, but the workforce is prepared to stand up for its rights.''
Long-haul pilots with Qantas have demanded a judicial inquiry into whether the airline's chief executive, Alan Joyce, misled a Senate inquiry into the grounding of domestic and international fleets three weeks ago.
The call for the inquiry by the Australian and International Pilots Association followed a report that private couriers were booked to deliver lockout notices before the Qantas annual meeting last month.
Mr Joyce told the Senate inquiry under oath that the decision to ground all aircraft on November 1 was made on the morning of October 29, the day after the company's annual shareholder meeting.
But two couriers who work for Direct Couriers and remain anonymous supplied written statements to the ABC's
Lateline program saying in the days before the Qantas grounding, drivers were booked to deliver lockout notices. They said that on October 27 they were asked to work on Sunday, October 30, to help deliver lockout notices to about 6000 Qantas staff.
There are mounting allegations that Mr Joyce was planning to lock out staff long before October 29, but kept the plans secret from shareholders.
He said there had been contingencies made for a lockout but denied making firm plans.
''There are going to be conspiracy theories. The fact is the decision was made on the Saturday,'' Mr Joyce said.
Since talks between Qantas and three of its unions have collapsed, Fair Work Australia will arbitrate on all outstanding matters, which could take up to six months.
The unions are furious the dispute has gone to compulsory arbitration. Mr Sheldon said yesterday the union would decide ''later this week whether we appeal the court decision from three weeks ago''.
He said unions would need to have Fair Work's termination ruling overturned in the Federal Court before they could seek further protected action.
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, which is a Qantas shareholder, also expects the airline to hand over its share register tomorrow. The union plans to contact the airline's top 5000 shareholders in an attempt to muster the 100 or more required to call an extraordinary meeting
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Qantas union raises spectre of holiday flight disruptions