QANTAS maint industrial action to commence.
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QANTAS maint industrial action to commence.
Source: News.com.au
QANTAS passengers, including those travelling to the Commonwealth Games, could be hit by delays when maintenance workers begin industrial action on Thursday over a plan to send jobs offshore.
Unions today said there were no guarantees the action would not disrupt travel to the Melbourne games.
They also refused to rule out escalating their campaign in their fight to extract a promise from Qantas to keep maintenance jobs in Australia.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), which together with the Australian Workers Union (AWU) represents 2100 of about 6900 Qantas maintenance workers, say they have notified authorities of their intention to take protected action from Thursday.
AMWU assistant national secretary Glenn Thompson said the low-level work-to-rule industrial action follows the airline's failure to meet a February 28 deadline to provide further information about job losses.
"We're not just indicating to Qantas (that we can take the action) – it is going ahead, it's as simple as that," Mr Thompson said.
Qantas has threatened to shift about 2500 maintenance jobs to Indonesia, China or New Zealand if it cannot get cost cuts which it says are needed to make it competitive against specialist maintenance companies.
But unions say the airline has failed to give a guarantee of job security in return for concessions during long-running enterprise bargaining talks.
AMWU national secretary Doug Cameron said the industrial action would initially affect the airline's maintenance timetable, which he said would take much longer under work-to-rule.
"The low-level industrial action will have an effect, it will put the maintenance timetable back," Mr Cameron said.
"We're simply saying to Qantas, you must sit down with us, you must guarantee that the workers ... shouldn't be threatened with their jobs going to China."
Asked whether the industrial action would affect the travelling public or those going to Melbourne for next week's Commonwealth Games, Mr Cameron said: "I can't tell you whether it will or won't."
"Industrial action is a last resort for the union.
"But the issue for us is that Qantas has traded for years on it's image as the airline of Australia (so) if Qantas is going to move jobs to China then it's in for significant industrial action from its workers."
Comment was being sought from Qantas.
QANTAS passengers, including those travelling to the Commonwealth Games, could be hit by delays when maintenance workers begin industrial action on Thursday over a plan to send jobs offshore.
Unions today said there were no guarantees the action would not disrupt travel to the Melbourne games.
They also refused to rule out escalating their campaign in their fight to extract a promise from Qantas to keep maintenance jobs in Australia.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), which together with the Australian Workers Union (AWU) represents 2100 of about 6900 Qantas maintenance workers, say they have notified authorities of their intention to take protected action from Thursday.
AMWU assistant national secretary Glenn Thompson said the low-level work-to-rule industrial action follows the airline's failure to meet a February 28 deadline to provide further information about job losses.
"We're not just indicating to Qantas (that we can take the action) – it is going ahead, it's as simple as that," Mr Thompson said.
Qantas has threatened to shift about 2500 maintenance jobs to Indonesia, China or New Zealand if it cannot get cost cuts which it says are needed to make it competitive against specialist maintenance companies.
But unions say the airline has failed to give a guarantee of job security in return for concessions during long-running enterprise bargaining talks.
AMWU national secretary Doug Cameron said the industrial action would initially affect the airline's maintenance timetable, which he said would take much longer under work-to-rule.
"The low-level industrial action will have an effect, it will put the maintenance timetable back," Mr Cameron said.
"We're simply saying to Qantas, you must sit down with us, you must guarantee that the workers ... shouldn't be threatened with their jobs going to China."
Asked whether the industrial action would affect the travelling public or those going to Melbourne for next week's Commonwealth Games, Mr Cameron said: "I can't tell you whether it will or won't."
"Industrial action is a last resort for the union.
"But the issue for us is that Qantas has traded for years on it's image as the airline of Australia (so) if Qantas is going to move jobs to China then it's in for significant industrial action from its workers."
Comment was being sought from Qantas.
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If the Union leadership had any brains they'd be waging a PR campaign with the customers "will your plane be safe to fly after being maintained in Asia" etc. Industrial action causing delays just antagonises customers and the maintenance guys will just shoot themselves in the foot. Is a 'work to rule' the most innovative action Mr Thompson can think of?
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The heavy maintenance workers are just the tip of the proverbial ICEBERG...
QF have already moved numerous CABIN CREW Overseas....in addition, the company is working towards basing hundreds of FLIGHTCREW Overseas also....
Australian Journalists are not doing anyone any favours.....get the whole story and then you will see the true national response to this disgrace...
The Government also needs all the information....by the look of it QF management are not telling them the whole story either!
QF have already moved numerous CABIN CREW Overseas....in addition, the company is working towards basing hundreds of FLIGHTCREW Overseas also....
Australian Journalists are not doing anyone any favours.....get the whole story and then you will see the true national response to this disgrace...
The Government also needs all the information....by the look of it QF management are not telling them the whole story either!
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Originally Posted by CIA Stooge
If the Union leadership had any brains they'd be waging a PR campaign with the customers "will your plane be safe to fly after being maintained in Asia" etc.
I do agree that jobs should not be sent overseas.
I just realised why there is no announcement "for a few weeks" - they are waiting for the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games!
I can see no other reason why they would leave you all teetering on edge for, they must know its cruel and unusual punishment.
I can see no other reason why they would leave you all teetering on edge for, they must know its cruel and unusual punishment.
could it be that management are waiting for March 31, this seems to be the case with our EBA. After then it all becomes a different story.
Years ago with chansett we tried the work to rule, bloody anoying but worked real well, come three years later when every delayed h/m check ended with them all requiring c4 and above checks at the same time.
Years ago with chansett we tried the work to rule, bloody anoying but worked real well, come three years later when every delayed h/m check ended with them all requiring c4 and above checks at the same time.
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The announcement comes midday tomorrow. Dicko has summoned the leaders of all the maintenance unions to a meeting. All Base servicing leading hands have also been summoned to work tomorrow afternoon.
Make of it what you want.
Make of it what you want.
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Originally Posted by The masked goatrider
All Base servicing leading hands have also been summoned to work tomorrow afternoon.
Make of it what you want.
Make of it what you want.
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The asn have finally spoken -
http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?i...mage0022wx.jpg
http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?i...mage0022wx.jpg
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I will be flying to MEL for the games, and I say bring on the industrial action I fully suupport any acation by the engineers at this time, even though no doubt it will inconvenience me.
Stand up for what is right LAME's. Let's hope your co-workers in Jet Star stand by you as well
Stand up for what is right LAME's. Let's hope your co-workers in Jet Star stand by you as well
