Qantas Reaches Agreement with FAAA International

[IORRA]

ASX Investor release here:

http://www.asx.com.au/asx/statistics/announcementSearch.do?method=searchByCode&releasedDuringCode=W&issuerCode=qan

IORRA

(Posted on this forum as probably of some relevance to the tech crews flying during the potential strike period)

[Don Esson]

Here is a summary from the FAAA. Some of what has been agreed beggars belief, but read for yourself. Presumably the FAA is reporting a true account of the agreement between it and Qantas.

* A 3% per annum pay increase for each of the 3 years of the EBA.
* The removal of the Pay Equalisation review clause from the last EBA that could have resulted in a pay cut.
* The removal of the roster review clause from the last EBA that could have resulted in changes to the seniority based preferential bid system.
* A new Divisional Flying Agreement with Qantas the FAAA (Domestic and International Divisions) that provides for the Commission to conciliate, and in the event that the conciliation is not successful, for private arbitration by the Commission of any disputes . The Agreement locks in the 747 and A380 exclusively for long haul and provides access to the A330, and provision for consultation on new aircraft.

* One Flight per day for Australian based crews to London . This will not be date limited.
* A new leave bank agreement subject to the approval of the OEA. ( Office of Employment Advocate)

* The ability to change your nominated travel beneficiaries every 6 months and one free ticket at your travel category to be used during the life of the EBA for a trip to London in recognition of the London Base effect. This is for the flight attendant or one nominated travel beneficiary.
* Changes to the Language Lines for new flight attendants with Cantonese, Mandarin and Hindi Languages.
* A Cap on overseas based crew. This cap does not have an expiry date like the current EBA and continues for the life of the Agreement.

* We have received assurances from the Company that the flight attendants employed on 11 month fixed term contracts will be considered for other positions within the Qantas Group when their contract expires, subject to there being suitable positions available.

[Uncommon Sense]

I am very surprised.

What has happened to the FAAA website over the past fortnight?

What do their executive and more importantly the membership have to say about this?

It is apparent the core issues they were defending are far from addressed by the QAN media release.

[Pimp Daddy]

It is apparent the core issues they were defending are far from addressed by the QAN media release.

Yes, but they get a free ticket to London :ok: :rolleyes:

[captainrats]

This is a win/win situation.Access to LHR is still maintained by Australian Crew.The LHR base is established and a cap of 870 on foreign bases is to be implemented.No jobs lost.The FAAA website has been quiet as negotiations proceeded there was nothing to relate until an agreement had been/or not been reached.The core issues have been addressed:Overseas base cap,access to LHR by australian crew,a regional flying compromise,and a guarantee of longhaul crew flying 747s and A380s.
All in all an excellent outcome for all

[Uncommon Sense]

Take all your points.

However, wasn't the LHR base the 'thick' end of the wedge as the FAAA saw it in placing Australian jobs overseas with inferior conditions?

I didn't think the 'access to London' from a crews point of view was a legitimate or valid aspect of it to be honest. Whilst I am no fan of QF management style, I have always believed you fly where the company flies and accept the slips where they are rostered - for example, when slips at PPT, NAD, CDG, FCO, all dissappeared (and reappeared) at one time or another, it could hardly be called an industrial issue with any legitimacy.

The principle of not basing more crew overseas on contracts seems to have been dropped, (only in my opinion of course, and I personally have nothing to gain or lose from it.)

What is GOD going to tell all his 'strike breakers' ?

[captainrats]

The LHR base was always going to go ahead as it had been agreed to in the previous EBA.It was always ludicrous to think that it could be prevented.It was sold to flight attendants by the previous FAAA regime.With SARS and the Iraq war it was always going to be difficult to resist.The fire is out and the best has been made of a bad situation.
As far as the strikebreakers are concerned ...QF will hang them out to dry...A most unfortunate circumstance

[funbags]

Its amazing if you put a bit of pressure on the company (take them to the IRC), what results you may get.

[DirectAnywhere]

Looks to me like the FAAA have been well and truly done over.

Cap on overseas based flight attendants lifted by 250%. Sure, no jobs lost now but as natural attrition kicks in are those FAs going to be replaced by Australian or overseas based crews?

Access to 1 flight per day to London. Whoopeedoo!!! Seven a week down from 27 a week now.

One free ticket to London over the life of the EBA. Worth about $300 for the average FA ie. $100 a year!!

And all this on top of a thumping 3% pay increase per year while managment gets a measly 66%.

I'll bet the members are cracking open the champagne now.

Definitely looks win:lose to me captainrats.

[MoFo]

The free ticket to London caper is worth very little.

Trying queuing in LHR and Singapore at the staff travel counters with 50 other people who have been there for a week, for the only 2 seats available. And yes, they won't check you all the way. Its compulsory to get off at Singapore and wait for the same process. Not whinging, just stating the reality guys.

Trust me. BUY a bloody ticket from Flight Centre.

[The Enema Bandit]

3% doesn't even keep up with inflation. Wages are slowly going backwards. Except, of course, if you're in upper management.

[Wirraway]

Wed "The Australian"

Qantas averts crew strike
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
November 03, 2004

QANTAS has headed off a strike by international flight attendants over the crucial Christmas travel period with an agreement that allows it to push ahead with controversial plans to base 400 cabin crew in London.

Talks in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission resulted in a breakthrough agreement, allowing Qantas to raise a cap on the number of overseas-based flight attendants from 370 to 870.

But both sides viewed the agreement, which also gives flight attendants an annual pay rise of 3 per cent over three years, as a win.

The increased cap gives a green light to Qantas's plans to reap annual savings of $18 million through its new London base, which provides rostering efficiencies and reduced accommodation and allowance costs.

Flight Attendants Association of Australia officials said they had negotiated several major concessions and were strongly recommending that members ratify the agreement, so it can take effect in mid-December.

"I'd characterise it as an agreement that achieves all the major objectives that we communicated to cabin crew," FAAA international division secretary Michael Mijatov said.

Despite the breakthrough, however, the airline still faces a potential industrial campaign by the Australian Services Union as it attempts to negotiate pay rises in the wake of big increases in executive salaries and a decision to raise the cap on directors' fees by 66 per cent.

The rise in directors' fees was approved by shareholders and the Qantas annual general meeting last month.

It is understood the ASU is considering an offer put forward by Qantas.

Yesterday's agreement comes after months of public feuding over the London base between Qantas and the FAAA, which included moves by the company to train 350 fixed-term cabin crew as potential strikebreakers.

The airline is now reviewing its need for the fixed-term flight attendants and said it would be speaking to them about "other opportunities" across the group.

The union was opposed to any move to remove the overseas cap and said it would agree to the expanded limit only if it was written into the enterprise agreement with no separate expiry date.

Officials said other concessions by Qantas included an agreement to give Australian-based crew access to seven of the airline's 27 flights to London each week. Under a new flying agreement only long-haul crew can operate on Boeing 747 and A380 aircraft. They will also have access to A330 planes.

"They (Qantas management) originally indicated they wanted no limit on overseas bases, they told us we wouldn't be flying up to London at all and that they wouldn't give us any agreement on flying," Mr Mijatov said. "On all those three major issues we've effectively won our position."

Qantas expects to have the London base running in the second half of this financial year and has promised that no existing cabin crew will lose their jobs over the move. About 200 Australian-based flight attendants have expressed interest in moving to the London base.

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said the plan was in the best interests of the airline. "Qantas is a global airline with very significant offshore operations and we cannot continue to source all our people and services in Australia alone," he said. "However, the majority of Qantas's international crew and the majority of all Qantas employees will continue to be based in Australia."

============================================

[Uncommon Sense]

Sorry FAAA - Sorry Mike;

But the more I read of this, the more I feel you either rolled over or were done over - please tell me I am not seeing the full picture?

(CPI is not a measure of cost of living BTW)

Do the FAAA membership still have to endorse this?

[The Matirx]

I am stunned the FAAA has been done over like this.

Looks like they are us useless as AIPA

[Pegasus747]

Guys a couple of things you might want to consider before bagging the deal done by the FAAA.

If the threats of industrial action and a lot of media support and drop in bookings hadnt occurred, Qantas would not have agreed to anything let alone a 3 year deal and a CAP on overseas based crew.

From the 17th of Dec 04 Qantas could open bases in every city around the world and employ unlimited overseas based crew without any restriction. The Cap without an expiry date is enuf for me to vote for the deal.

Sure i would like more than 3% per annum but name one group of workers in Qantas who are getting more than that other than the Execs.

Stop the crap about 66% to directors. Its like comparing flight attendant skills to pilots. Or nurses to doctors.

Its a great deal and gives me some job security at least for 3 years and with no date limit on the CAP finally, security beyond that.