Wirraway
30th Jul 2004, 14:25
Sat "Sydney Morning Herald"
Qantas ignores union threats
By Scott Rochfort
July 31, 2004
In the face of vocal union opposition, Qantas will press ahead with plans to establish a 400-strong London crew base on Monday by opening job offers to its 4000 Australian flight attendants.
Despite the threats of industrial action by the Flight Attendants Association of Australia, Qantas said it had received positive feedback from its crews to the move.
"We've had a good level of interest in terms of people contacting in and saying, 'How can I apply'," said Michael Sharp, Qantas's head of communications.
"But the period of [formal job applications] doesn't actually begin until next week so we can't make any comment on specifically how many people."
Qantas expects to save about $18 million a year from the move, given it will cut the cost of meal and hotel allowances and allow more flexibility with its crews.
In a bid to soften any potential opposition by British unions, Qantas confirmed it had already signed a memorandum of understanding with the 1.2 million-member union Amicus, which covers flight attendants.
Under the offer, Qantas flight attendants moving to London will get a £12,220 ($31,750) base salary, an estimated £4000 in "sector pay", £580 in allowances and a £7250 annualised lump sum, taking the total to £24,422 ($63,500) a year.
Crews will also get £600 in private medical insurance and an interest-free loan of £1500 to buy a annual London Tube pass.
The FAAA said the offer translated to a 20 to 31 per cent wage cut, given London crews would be be required to work longer hours - up to 240 hours for every eight-week roster, compared with about 180 hours for Australian crews.
The union said that out of the 932 members who attended meetings this month, only two supported Qantas management's plans for a London crew base.
The flight attendants' union opposes Qantas management breaking the current enterprise agreement, which puts a cap of 370 on the number of flight attendants that can be based overseas. It has also objected to the recent hiring of 150 crew on fixed contracts of eight to nine months.
The head of the FAAA's international division, Michael Mijatov, warned those 150 staff would be "put back on the streets" once the London base opened next June.
Qantas confirmed that it had hired "around 100" international flight attendants on fixed-term contracts.
But it countered union comments the crews would be out of a job once the London base was open. Mr Sharp said most of the staff would return to the casual pool of flight attendants from which they had originally come, or to their original jobs within the airline.
Mr Sharp reiterated that no Australian jobs would be lost from the move to London.
But it is understood the FAAA is more concerned about fixed-term staff being used as strikebreakers. The union has ruled out industrial action until its current enterprise bargaining agreement expires on December 18.
In the meantime, the union will lobby against the London base.
Mr Mijatov will fly to London next week to hold talks with Amicus, the International Transport Workers Federation and several other unions.
The International Transport Workers Federation's aviation secretary, Shane Enright, warned in May that the federation "will do everything that we can to support" the FAAA.
Qantas will meet the FAAA on August 13.
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Qantas ignores union threats
By Scott Rochfort
July 31, 2004
In the face of vocal union opposition, Qantas will press ahead with plans to establish a 400-strong London crew base on Monday by opening job offers to its 4000 Australian flight attendants.
Despite the threats of industrial action by the Flight Attendants Association of Australia, Qantas said it had received positive feedback from its crews to the move.
"We've had a good level of interest in terms of people contacting in and saying, 'How can I apply'," said Michael Sharp, Qantas's head of communications.
"But the period of [formal job applications] doesn't actually begin until next week so we can't make any comment on specifically how many people."
Qantas expects to save about $18 million a year from the move, given it will cut the cost of meal and hotel allowances and allow more flexibility with its crews.
In a bid to soften any potential opposition by British unions, Qantas confirmed it had already signed a memorandum of understanding with the 1.2 million-member union Amicus, which covers flight attendants.
Under the offer, Qantas flight attendants moving to London will get a £12,220 ($31,750) base salary, an estimated £4000 in "sector pay", £580 in allowances and a £7250 annualised lump sum, taking the total to £24,422 ($63,500) a year.
Crews will also get £600 in private medical insurance and an interest-free loan of £1500 to buy a annual London Tube pass.
The FAAA said the offer translated to a 20 to 31 per cent wage cut, given London crews would be be required to work longer hours - up to 240 hours for every eight-week roster, compared with about 180 hours for Australian crews.
The union said that out of the 932 members who attended meetings this month, only two supported Qantas management's plans for a London crew base.
The flight attendants' union opposes Qantas management breaking the current enterprise agreement, which puts a cap of 370 on the number of flight attendants that can be based overseas. It has also objected to the recent hiring of 150 crew on fixed contracts of eight to nine months.
The head of the FAAA's international division, Michael Mijatov, warned those 150 staff would be "put back on the streets" once the London base opened next June.
Qantas confirmed that it had hired "around 100" international flight attendants on fixed-term contracts.
But it countered union comments the crews would be out of a job once the London base was open. Mr Sharp said most of the staff would return to the casual pool of flight attendants from which they had originally come, or to their original jobs within the airline.
Mr Sharp reiterated that no Australian jobs would be lost from the move to London.
But it is understood the FAAA is more concerned about fixed-term staff being used as strikebreakers. The union has ruled out industrial action until its current enterprise bargaining agreement expires on December 18.
In the meantime, the union will lobby against the London base.
Mr Mijatov will fly to London next week to hold talks with Amicus, the International Transport Workers Federation and several other unions.
The International Transport Workers Federation's aviation secretary, Shane Enright, warned in May that the federation "will do everything that we can to support" the FAAA.
Qantas will meet the FAAA on August 13.
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