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Notice 55/2014 - All Qantas Members - Qantas Redundancy Update 31st July
Today the ALAEA were due to meet with Qantas again to discuss the failing redundancy program however the airline were unable to release all of our committee members due to lack of staff. The meeting has been postponed until next week. Some of the issues we wished to discuss with them are below.
Appeals
Around 50 ALAEA members have submitted appeals against their retrenchment. The responses have started to come back with a majority of the appeals rejected however a few members have been re-instated for varying reasons. Unfortunately the results from the appeals appear to be remarkably inconsistent, including people being awarded points at a late stage because they were given verbal promises of future training with others not receiving any points for licenses they are being paid for because they are not on EQ.
Part Timers in Sydney have also all been re-instated. We are unsure of the consequences of the reappointments and suspect Qantas will advise us of a new safety line after the appeals have concluded.
Transition Centre Jobs
As part of the requirements of the Workplace Determination (your EBA), Qantas have set up a career transition center to assist staff that have been targeted. Through various letters from the airline they have reminded us how helpful the place has been. This again is another Qantas lie. An example is Jetstar jobs for LAMEs have been advertised within the center but when our members have gone to apply for the positions they have been told that Qantas staff were ineligible to apply.
Court Case Preparation
Plans are well underway to submit an application with the Federal Court over various provisions in the Workplace Determination that we say have not been met by the airline as part of this process. We have engaged our usual Legal firm Maurice Blackburn and two Barristers who are putting the case together. It is a massive task for all involved and further info will be shared when the case has been submitted.
A380 Delays
All along we have been advising Qantas that the managers working on this axe-wielding exercise are unable to even count the number of staff they have. As a result the work will build up to a point that the backlog of tasks required to keep the planes airworthy will surpass the manpower and time they have available. Despite a massive effort put in by the A380 crews in Sydney, yesterday’s QF11 to Lax departed four hours late due to lack of manpower. Today’s QF11 aircraft has now been pushed out 7 ½ hours with a scheduled engine change underway but the A check and most OSIP work deferred. Because of the delays, ground time in Lax is now limited so it is unlikely they will be able to use crew Nair to catch up on the backlog. The situation will only deteriorate when all of the targeted retrenchments are implemented.
Sydney Adhoc Staff Transfers
Because the airline have sacked too many staff at Sydney Domestic, A380 staff are being transferred to Domestic on a daily basis to cover the shortfalls there. We suspect that the latest big 380 delays will be the catalyst for a number of management ‘arse covering’ meetings and ultimately result in less daily transfers.
If your section’s shortfall has been covered by people from other departments and they are no longer assisting, it does not mean that you run between jobs to help the managers cover up their mistakes. Please just go about your duties as you normally would, safely, diligently and fully compliant. If that means aircraft are delayed, so be it. It may just be the message Alan Joyce needs to realize that the managers he has appointed don’t think like Qantas Engineers should.
Perth and Brisbane
Our members in Brisbane and Perth have been spared the wrath of compulsory retrenchments at this stage. Your turn is coming. Members are reporting off the cuff comments made by ops managers about the next round of changes that the airline has planned. Today, Qantas are loading up Brisbane and Perth with a vast range of additional work that would have otherwise have been conducted in the ports were our members are being tapped. Members in Perth and Brisbane should be aware that, however you can provide it, your fellow Sydney and Melbourne LAMEs need your support. Please assist wherever you can if you receive a call from them.
Sydney International Supervisors
I think our SIT brothers know that one of the little projects they have planned is to eliminate Supervisors and ultimately DMM positions at the Terminal. We are hearing reports that staff shortages on the shop floor are being backfilled by Supervisors who are being directed to carry out the tasks that normally would have been done by LAMEs. Members are advised that they should follow all lawful directions and being directed to act as a LAME may be one of them.
When you are asked to do this though, it may be wise to highlight to the person directing you that if your role is temporarily vacated, that it should be backfilled. If the role is not backfilled, please do not attempt to try and complete your functions and that of a LAME at the same time. If the airline see this doubling up of tasks it will only add to the justification they will use down the track to say that the Supervisor position is superfluous to requirements.
Cutting Corners
Many of the changes you are seeing today were tried when Chris Nassenstein was at Air New Zealand. After his departure most were quickly reversed because they did not work. Qantas will be relying on you to turn a blind eye to things you know are incorrect or defective. Management will be placing you under pressure to cut corners because if this system fails, it is their job on the line instead of yours.
We know and expect our members to keep everything professional. This means doing everything properly and reporting any manager who places you under undue pressure to bend the rules. If you ever find yourself in this position, or without appropriate tooling, access to manuals, an Engineering Authority or other approved data that may be required to complete a job, do not proceed until you can meet the strict requirements of the relevant company policy. It is illegal to depart an aircraft on the assumption that the loose ends can be cleaned up later.
Steve Purvinas
Federal Secretary