Cabin crew's union says fasten seatbelts

[Wirraway]

Tues "The Australian"

Cabin crew's union says fasten seatbelts
By Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
July 06, 2004

THE union representing Qantas flight attendants is preparing for industrial trouble later this year as it starts a series of meetings today to gauge reaction to the airline's plans to base 400 long-haul cabin crew in London.

The Flight Attendants Association of Australia will hold four three-hour meetings in Sydney and one each in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth over the next fortnight to discuss the issue.

While none of the meetings would affect Qantas operations, union officials said they would set the stage for industrial action when an enterprise agreement expired in December.

The FAAA is unhappy the proposal breaches a cap limiting the number of foreign-based flight attendants Qantas can employ to 370.

It is worried that moving flight attendants offshore will limit long-haul destinations available to Australian-based crew and compromise the union's ability to take industrial action.

"We will be indicating this will be fought, and not with words," said FAAA international division secretary Michael Mijatov. "There's going to be trouble ahead."

Qantas yesterday described the FAAA's comments as "highly unusual" and said there was no need for industrial action.

Qantas spokesman Michael Sharp said applications for the London jobs would not open until the middle of this month and the airline was prepared to keep talking with staff and the FAAA.

"We don't believe there is any justification for industrial action," Mr Sharp said. "No jobs will be lost as a result of this initiative, the positions in London are being offered to Australia-based cabin crew first, they will be given priority and it is entirely voluntary."

Cabin crew headed to London would be offered an average pay of pound stg. 24,050 ($51,549).

"The salary packages they've got will be comparable to what they're earning now and competitive with cabin crew based in the United Kingdom," Mr Sharp said. "For example, it will be higher than Virgin Atlantic."

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[Tunguska]

They'll be after a fingernail damage allowance as well as demanding turbulence-proof bras next........and thats just the guys !!!

[Vertical Smiles]

"The salary packages they've got will be comparable to what they're earning now and competitive with cabin crew based in the United Kingdom," Mr Sharp said. "For example, it will be higher than Virgin Atlantic."

Salary higher than Virgin Atlantic! Would that be the same as comparing domestic F/A salaries with Virgin Blue in Australia? If so, it would have to be a joke.

I wonder what the proposed salaries in the UK compare to BA F/A's.

[Feather #3]

If you live "south of the Watford line" in England, then GBP=AUD. They'd have to make the stated $51,549 as GBP to merely break even.

A sop to this is the offer of a GBP1,500 interest free loan for an annual tube railcard. Oh, forgot to say, I think it comes out of the salary!!?? :uhoh:

Bottom line is; no Aussies will take up the offer [except the few with family accom in UK] and locals will be employed, which, after all, was the object in the first place!:rolleyes:

G'day :hmm:

[Mr Wright]

I reckon the QF Cabin Crew Union will go to water on this issue. The big Q wins again. :eek:

[ditzyboy]

As I understand it Australian based employees that take up the transfer/Leave Without Pay get 7500 pounds additional payment per annum in addition to the salary on offer. Also company provided private health cover and two free positioning tickets on each side of the two years over there. And accrual of Seniority and benefits as if they stayed in OZ.

So Australian based employees over there will get more than those who join as UK based crew. More like $64k Australian... Not the $51k as quoted. Still I can't see the offer being widely accepted. Though it does offer an 'experience' to those who are interested in joining Long Haul, wanting promotion or to live in the UK.

Not as bad a deal as some make out. Although this whole exercise is nothing more than attempts by the big Q to make more money. And turn employee groups against each other and deteriorate the conditions of Australian based employees.

Whatever the deal is... Decreasing morale of existing employees and creating further anti-management sentiment is never good for business.

[cyclops camel]

Michael Sharp cannot understand the FAAA outrage as "no Australian jobs will be lost." Seems to me that 400 Ozzie jobs are being lost to foreigners. Just to save a buck. In a time of record QF profits I find this hard to justify. What the f#*c$ is going on? :mad:

[Johhny Utah]

There seems to be some rubbery figures doing the rounds with regards to converting between AUD$ & GBP in this discussion.

As per OzForex.com (http://www.ozforex.com/cgi-bin/convert.asp), here are the going conversions:

24,050.00 British Pound = $61,476.61 Australian Dollar

7,500.00 British Pound = $19,171.50 Australian Dollar

[based on 1 GBP = 2.5562 AUD OR 1 AUD = 0.3912 GBP]

However, I readily agree that this is certainly not as much as it seems; I dare say that the crew won't living the high life on that sort of money in a town where the local cost of living is essentially GBP 1 = AUD 1 for most basic items. :(

[Cart_tart]

Bull%$&# no Australian jobs will be lost!
What about all of us shortlisters who were told "congratulations" and then 15 months later unceremoniously dropped from the list, the VERY SAME DAY the big announcement came that LHR base would be opening!
There were at least 100 on that list - that's 100 jobs IN AUSTRALIA lost to the LHR base.

FIGHT AWAY FAAA!!!!!!!

[ajaxcatch]

As an expat who has lived in London. 24,000 pound sterling in London will be like living in Sydney on 24,000 australian/year.

I would say this would be very similar. Oh i forgot. Living on the doll on the Gold coast on 10,000 per year, you still can go surfing everyday and bask in the sun, and buy a pizza for a few dollars.

The decision me thinks is very easy.