Qantas Sacking Tarmac Engineers
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Sorry Ngineer and Oh Me Oh My, I assure you I didn't mean to cause any offence. I don't think my attitude has anything to do with it.
The last time people were moved from the Terminal to Base they were more than welcomed by the Base guys - mind you, the majority of those moved weren't happy about it at the time.
I'm certainly not any "gift to engineering", but with the combined experience and nous of me and my colleagues, I believe we put out a excellent product. As I'm sure you guys do. So with a number of you guys on board - it should be an even better one.
As for "bringing their work with them, not poaching yours" - certainly sounds like the way the company wants it interpreted. Still sounds like back-filling to me.
I'm just saying it's not that bad in Base, especially if you've still got a job.
Just hope you don't come and take mine.
The last time people were moved from the Terminal to Base they were more than welcomed by the Base guys - mind you, the majority of those moved weren't happy about it at the time.
I'm certainly not any "gift to engineering", but with the combined experience and nous of me and my colleagues, I believe we put out a excellent product. As I'm sure you guys do. So with a number of you guys on board - it should be an even better one.
As for "bringing their work with them, not poaching yours" - certainly sounds like the way the company wants it interpreted. Still sounds like back-filling to me.
I'm just saying it's not that bad in Base, especially if you've still got a job.
Just hope you don't come and take mine.
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Bung Eyed Bandit. SDO also lost 18, plus 6 more that jumped before being pushed, plus another 30 redeployed, for a total of 54 out of 100 gone. A number have been reinststated at SIO but none that I know of in SDO. As usual SDO has well and truly borne the brunt.
For years SDO has been understaffed. We watched as we lost good people with the licenses we needed, fade away in countless rounds of redundancy.
For years we watched as training was cancelled due to "sufficient license coverage". Yet for years we covered the gaps with overtime and deferrals. We watched as our work was given away to Base and SIO due to "lack of license coverage" and "insufficient manpower".
We watched as they shut down the airline to prove to everyone they should have the right to manage or mismanage the airline as they see fit. And boy have they done an AMAAAAZING job on an AMAAAAZING business. For years we have waited for a reckoning. It is closer now than it has ever been, and not a moment too soon. I for one have had a gut full.
Those going to Base are perhaps the lucky ones. There isn't much left of Good Ship Domestic to cling to, and there are more squalls on the horizon. Any port in a storm.
For years SDO has been understaffed. We watched as we lost good people with the licenses we needed, fade away in countless rounds of redundancy.
For years we watched as training was cancelled due to "sufficient license coverage". Yet for years we covered the gaps with overtime and deferrals. We watched as our work was given away to Base and SIO due to "lack of license coverage" and "insufficient manpower".
We watched as they shut down the airline to prove to everyone they should have the right to manage or mismanage the airline as they see fit. And boy have they done an AMAAAAZING job on an AMAAAAZING business. For years we have waited for a reckoning. It is closer now than it has ever been, and not a moment too soon. I for one have had a gut full.
Those going to Base are perhaps the lucky ones. There isn't much left of Good Ship Domestic to cling to, and there are more squalls on the horizon. Any port in a storm.
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Latest from the FEDSEC would suggest the worst maybe yet to come.....
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
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
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.....and the now familiar reply from Texas Tony....
What say you in reply to that drivel FEDSEC?
There is a lot going on across Maintenance Operations this week, but before I come to that, I wanted to call out some of the great efforts of our people.
Firstly I want to thank the London LMO team. VH- OQI arrived from Dubai recently with a number of issues to contend with. The team set out to source and replace parts and then work with Rolls Royce to carry out the necessary inspections. Their efforts saw the aircraft ready for its next service the following evening and avoided any disruption to our passengers. Special thanks go to LAMEs Jonny Foyle, Graham Calderwood and the rest of the LHR team, also Rob Marsano and Brian Taylor from MOC. Excellent work by all involved.
Next I would like to recognise the SAM folks who ‘rescued’ QF 1 from a major delay on 19 July. When the aircraft was due to leave the door was proving difficult to shut correctly and was indicating open even though the door was latched and closed. The SAM team identified the fault and ordered the necessary parts. The crews then worked together to rescue the flight with the least amount of disruption to an aircraft full of passengers. The defect was fully assessed and rectified with QF1 pushing back at 2036 giving the Tech crew a much needed buffer for their duty requirements and our engineers a great sense of accomplishment. A big thank you to the Engineers of SAM, and all of the areas supporting them: Paul Blanksby, Rob Paull, Senad Kacanic, Andrew Jopling, Paul Heath, Fabian Mueller, Chris Robinson, Traj Cvetanovski, Mick Webb, Mo Khan, Jarrad Rust, Steve Byra, Ryan Leech, Vince Romeo, Brian Taylor, Matt Anderson and Jon Ludlow.
As I said, this week has seen a lot of change happening across LMO in particular, but it’s great to see that even in these time of change, with lots of moving parts, our people are still delivering some amazing results. We have Best in Class OTP and a service to our customers that is second to none.
On Tuesday we started the process of letting some of the LAMEs in the Sydney terminals know that they would need to transfer to SAM. We also published the latest version of the selection criteria for AMEs and the indicative points required to retain a position in each area. I know our AMEs would like to get to a point of certainty as soon as possible and I hope this now gives them some further clarity on where they might sit and what options they might want to consider.
This week we had a phone conference with the Alliance unions to bring them up to date on the latest EOI and mitigations, and respond to some of the issues and questions they raised. There has been some movement and right now there are still 50 positions of remaining overcapacity but some 56 job opportunities in both Brisbane Base Maintenance and Perth. Your Port and Ops Managers will be sharing this same information at your next tool box. Our next meeting has been set for Friday 8 August.
We didn’t meet with the ALAEA this week due to our ability to release one Melbourne delegate. I have read their latest members notice and admit to a profound disappointment. My reading into this letter is a desire by the ALAEA Federal Secretary to continue to perpetuate an environment of fear and uncertainty for our people. This is totally unnecessary and is a ploy to keep an air of conflict in play.
He may continue to speculate on what changes might be around the corner, but I have no plans apart from bedding down the Line Maintenance Operating model on which we have been consulting for over five months in good faith. While I can’t guarantee what might change in the world around us and how we may need to address these changes, I can say once we have addressed this current level of overcapacity in Line Maintenance, these types of major step changes should be behind us.
What we are going through right now in LMO is a result of no change being made to the business over the last ten years. Fleet have come and gone, maintenance practices have changed, our network has adapted to the market, and our aircraft don’t need the same maintenance as they did ten years ago. It’s left us playing catch up. Catch up to our own maintenance needs, the manufacturer requirements, our network footprint, the industry and our competitors.
In making any decision about our business I weigh up three things. Does it lower our cost and return value? Does it improve operations and help the customer? and is it a benefit for our people? My ultimate goal is to ensure these things are always in balance so I can protect jobs and create a very strong future for Qantas Engineering. Unlike the Federal Secretary of the ALAEA who trades in fear and rhetoric and bears no allegiance to Qantas, his distorted views only serve to unsettle people even more. I hold a view that our engineers come to work each day to do a good job for Qantas. They want to see Qantas successful and in turn secure their future. My responsibility is to keep this the best LMO business it can be with the best engineers working safely and securely within it. I ask you to keep this balance within your thoughts going forward.
I want to get to a point where adjustments to our business are ongoing without the need for any major announcements or cutbacks. Any adjustments we need to make in the future should be managed naturally, gradually and comfortably through attrition, retirement, promotion and other processes. We do need to work together to get to this point.
I know you all come to work each day to do a great job for the airline and for your customers. This really shows in the results we are seeing and the fact that I am never short of good news to recognise in my weekly updates.
Thank you for all you do.
Be Safe
Tony
Firstly I want to thank the London LMO team. VH- OQI arrived from Dubai recently with a number of issues to contend with. The team set out to source and replace parts and then work with Rolls Royce to carry out the necessary inspections. Their efforts saw the aircraft ready for its next service the following evening and avoided any disruption to our passengers. Special thanks go to LAMEs Jonny Foyle, Graham Calderwood and the rest of the LHR team, also Rob Marsano and Brian Taylor from MOC. Excellent work by all involved.
Next I would like to recognise the SAM folks who ‘rescued’ QF 1 from a major delay on 19 July. When the aircraft was due to leave the door was proving difficult to shut correctly and was indicating open even though the door was latched and closed. The SAM team identified the fault and ordered the necessary parts. The crews then worked together to rescue the flight with the least amount of disruption to an aircraft full of passengers. The defect was fully assessed and rectified with QF1 pushing back at 2036 giving the Tech crew a much needed buffer for their duty requirements and our engineers a great sense of accomplishment. A big thank you to the Engineers of SAM, and all of the areas supporting them: Paul Blanksby, Rob Paull, Senad Kacanic, Andrew Jopling, Paul Heath, Fabian Mueller, Chris Robinson, Traj Cvetanovski, Mick Webb, Mo Khan, Jarrad Rust, Steve Byra, Ryan Leech, Vince Romeo, Brian Taylor, Matt Anderson and Jon Ludlow.
As I said, this week has seen a lot of change happening across LMO in particular, but it’s great to see that even in these time of change, with lots of moving parts, our people are still delivering some amazing results. We have Best in Class OTP and a service to our customers that is second to none.
On Tuesday we started the process of letting some of the LAMEs in the Sydney terminals know that they would need to transfer to SAM. We also published the latest version of the selection criteria for AMEs and the indicative points required to retain a position in each area. I know our AMEs would like to get to a point of certainty as soon as possible and I hope this now gives them some further clarity on where they might sit and what options they might want to consider.
This week we had a phone conference with the Alliance unions to bring them up to date on the latest EOI and mitigations, and respond to some of the issues and questions they raised. There has been some movement and right now there are still 50 positions of remaining overcapacity but some 56 job opportunities in both Brisbane Base Maintenance and Perth. Your Port and Ops Managers will be sharing this same information at your next tool box. Our next meeting has been set for Friday 8 August.
We didn’t meet with the ALAEA this week due to our ability to release one Melbourne delegate. I have read their latest members notice and admit to a profound disappointment. My reading into this letter is a desire by the ALAEA Federal Secretary to continue to perpetuate an environment of fear and uncertainty for our people. This is totally unnecessary and is a ploy to keep an air of conflict in play.
He may continue to speculate on what changes might be around the corner, but I have no plans apart from bedding down the Line Maintenance Operating model on which we have been consulting for over five months in good faith. While I can’t guarantee what might change in the world around us and how we may need to address these changes, I can say once we have addressed this current level of overcapacity in Line Maintenance, these types of major step changes should be behind us.
What we are going through right now in LMO is a result of no change being made to the business over the last ten years. Fleet have come and gone, maintenance practices have changed, our network has adapted to the market, and our aircraft don’t need the same maintenance as they did ten years ago. It’s left us playing catch up. Catch up to our own maintenance needs, the manufacturer requirements, our network footprint, the industry and our competitors.
In making any decision about our business I weigh up three things. Does it lower our cost and return value? Does it improve operations and help the customer? and is it a benefit for our people? My ultimate goal is to ensure these things are always in balance so I can protect jobs and create a very strong future for Qantas Engineering. Unlike the Federal Secretary of the ALAEA who trades in fear and rhetoric and bears no allegiance to Qantas, his distorted views only serve to unsettle people even more. I hold a view that our engineers come to work each day to do a good job for Qantas. They want to see Qantas successful and in turn secure their future. My responsibility is to keep this the best LMO business it can be with the best engineers working safely and securely within it. I ask you to keep this balance within your thoughts going forward.
I want to get to a point where adjustments to our business are ongoing without the need for any major announcements or cutbacks. Any adjustments we need to make in the future should be managed naturally, gradually and comfortably through attrition, retirement, promotion and other processes. We do need to work together to get to this point.
I know you all come to work each day to do a great job for the airline and for your customers. This really shows in the results we are seeing and the fact that I am never short of good news to recognise in my weekly updates.
Thank you for all you do.
Be Safe
Tony
What say you in reply to that drivel FEDSEC?
He may continue to speculate on what changes might be around the corner, but I have no plans apart from bedding down the Line Maintenance Operating model on which we have been consulting for over five months in good faith. While I can’t guarantee what might change in the world around us and how we may need to address these changes, I can say once we have addressed this current level of overcapacity in Line Maintenance, these types of major step changes should be behind us.
"qantas check 1 and check 2 services pty ltd" will be the new lmo
I read the management clown's response above and thought he had learned something but there it was, almost at the end. 'Going forward'. They just can't resist saying it. I wish you all well in this but am so disappointed that Qantas's management are running what was the best and safest airline into the ground. I hope not literally. Wherever I was in the world, the moment I stepped aboard a Qantas aircraft, I was at home, on Australian territory. I knew I was in good, safe hands. All gone now and it is because of greedy, self absorbed, unaccountable management with some sort of destructive agenda.
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Not buying that Sunny, I'm off on QF1 tomorrow and I'm not expecting any unreliability. Tickets bought and paid for by myself, will do the points upgrade thing and have a nice holiday.
I expect to depart and arrive on time, equally I accept sometimes things don't work like that so I'll just adapt to anything that happens. QF seem no better or worse than any other top tier airline in this regard, never have, never will.
I expect to depart and arrive on time, equally I accept sometimes things don't work like that so I'll just adapt to anything that happens. QF seem no better or worse than any other top tier airline in this regard, never have, never will.
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I've said before that this Texas Tony guy will say anything. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story -
What about MOD, you know that change that no longer had us checking aircraft each transit that led to the reduction of 98 positions??
No change in last ten years?? What about all the customers you ditched. The ones that used to pay the majority of our wages??
....and I seem to recall something that happened to me in LMO 7 years ago...that's right I was made redundant.
Maybe some of you can understand why we don't believe much of the horse crap they feed us in consultation.
What we are going through right now in LMO is a result of no change being made to the business over the last ten years.
No change in last ten years?? What about all the customers you ditched. The ones that used to pay the majority of our wages??
....and I seem to recall something that happened to me in LMO 7 years ago...that's right I was made redundant.
Maybe some of you can understand why we don't believe much of the horse crap they feed us in consultation.
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With QE Ops managers changing from night shifts and doubling up on day shift, it looks like today could be the day that the on going, planned destruction of Qantas' engineering capabilities will take another step. I've been wrong before and I hope I am wrong again but QE AMEs need to look over their shoulder today - BEWARE THE TAPPER!
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Looks like the AME's turn today.......
Mainstream media still regurgitating the qantas drivel about newer aircraft needing less maintenance.
Guess what folks, they don't stay new for very long.
Qantas creeps forward with engineering job cuts
Jamie Freed
Published: August 5, 2014 - 11:43AM
Qantas has cut another 97 jobs in its engineering department as part of its broader program of 5000 job losses over three years.
The airline on Tuesday told 47 aircraft maintenance engineers in Sydney and Melbourne that their roles were redundant, although it has offered them the opportunity to apply for an equal number of vacant roles in Brisbane and Perth if they are willing to relocate.
Qantas has more demand for work in its Brisbane and Perth maintenance hangars than in Sydney and Melbourne as part of a broader restructure of its engineering department.
It also has less work in total as it retires ageing 767 and 747 aircraft.
Modern aircraft require less maintenance than older aircraft.
The airline has also told employees in engineering planning, administration and support that it plans to cut 50 positions in those areas. In the first instance, it will offer voluntary redundancies to mitigate the need for compulsory redundancies.
“We’ve been saying for some time that our engineering workload is reducing as we continue to retire older aircraft and introduce new aircraft which require less maintenance,” a Qantas spokeswoman said.
“The simple fact is we need fewer engineering employees as the workload reduces.”
In February, Qantas announced it would cut 300 line maintenance roles from both licensed aircraft maintenance engineers and aircraft maintenance engineers.
However, the airline said it had worked with employees and unions to reduce the number of compulsory redundancies through voluntary redundancies, job swaps and redeployment to other parts of the airline to offset the number of compulsory redundancies by 50.
This story was found at: Qantas creeps forward with engineering job cuts
Jamie Freed
Published: August 5, 2014 - 11:43AM
Qantas has cut another 97 jobs in its engineering department as part of its broader program of 5000 job losses over three years.
The airline on Tuesday told 47 aircraft maintenance engineers in Sydney and Melbourne that their roles were redundant, although it has offered them the opportunity to apply for an equal number of vacant roles in Brisbane and Perth if they are willing to relocate.
Qantas has more demand for work in its Brisbane and Perth maintenance hangars than in Sydney and Melbourne as part of a broader restructure of its engineering department.
It also has less work in total as it retires ageing 767 and 747 aircraft.
Modern aircraft require less maintenance than older aircraft.
The airline has also told employees in engineering planning, administration and support that it plans to cut 50 positions in those areas. In the first instance, it will offer voluntary redundancies to mitigate the need for compulsory redundancies.
“We’ve been saying for some time that our engineering workload is reducing as we continue to retire older aircraft and introduce new aircraft which require less maintenance,” a Qantas spokeswoman said.
“The simple fact is we need fewer engineering employees as the workload reduces.”
In February, Qantas announced it would cut 300 line maintenance roles from both licensed aircraft maintenance engineers and aircraft maintenance engineers.
However, the airline said it had worked with employees and unions to reduce the number of compulsory redundancies through voluntary redundancies, job swaps and redeployment to other parts of the airline to offset the number of compulsory redundancies by 50.
This story was found at: Qantas creeps forward with engineering job cuts
Mainstream media still regurgitating the qantas drivel about newer aircraft needing less maintenance.
Guess what folks, they don't stay new for very long.
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Makes it official...
Following five months of consultation, today the Sydney and Melbourne Port Managers have started notifying AMEs who are impacted by the changes we announced in February. They are meeting with their people one-on-one to explain the options available, and offer them career transition services. We are fortunate to have mitigated any impact to the Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney International and Melbourne tarmac teams through voluntary redundancy or relocation.
Given the upcoming workload in Brisbane Base Maintenance, and some EOIs in Perth, there are positions available for almost every AME affected by these changes. There are 47 impacted positions, and 56 positions available.
I know it’s a difficult decision to uproot your family and move to another state, but I really do hope anyone impacted gives these opportunities their full consideration. In this type of specialised industry, jobs may not always be available where we want them to be. While initially hesitant, I know a number of people who were affected by the Tulla closure are now settled and enjoying life in Queensland, as part of the Base Maintenance Team.
We don’t want to lose any of the skill or expertise we have in LMO. Keeping people when we do have work and jobs available for them is an absolute priority.
I expect notification will continue over the next week or so, as we make contact with everyone who isn’t on shift today. We will try to move through this process as quickly as we can so we can start to bring more stability and certainty to our people.
I know the last five months have been difficult, but the way you have dealt with these challenges and kept the operation running on time for our customers is something you can be really proud of. I’ll be out to visit everyone shortly, so please take care of each other and talk to your leader if you have any questions in the meantime.
Thanks for all you do.
Be Safe
Tony
Given the upcoming workload in Brisbane Base Maintenance, and some EOIs in Perth, there are positions available for almost every AME affected by these changes. There are 47 impacted positions, and 56 positions available.
I know it’s a difficult decision to uproot your family and move to another state, but I really do hope anyone impacted gives these opportunities their full consideration. In this type of specialised industry, jobs may not always be available where we want them to be. While initially hesitant, I know a number of people who were affected by the Tulla closure are now settled and enjoying life in Queensland, as part of the Base Maintenance Team.
We don’t want to lose any of the skill or expertise we have in LMO. Keeping people when we do have work and jobs available for them is an absolute priority.
I expect notification will continue over the next week or so, as we make contact with everyone who isn’t on shift today. We will try to move through this process as quickly as we can so we can start to bring more stability and certainty to our people.
I know the last five months have been difficult, but the way you have dealt with these challenges and kept the operation running on time for our customers is something you can be really proud of. I’ll be out to visit everyone shortly, so please take care of each other and talk to your leader if you have any questions in the meantime.
Thanks for all you do.
Be Safe
Tony
Bull****. That is spin and an outright lie.
Modern aircraft are smarter, more integrated, and have in depth on board maintenance systems.
As a result, they tell you every tiny little thing that is wrong with themselves, then petulantly sit there displaying some EICAS or the like message that means you can't dispatch until you clear the message, perform the FIM task to check it has gone, do an RTS.
The older aircraft might have been steam driven, but they didn't throw their toys out every time a widget farted the wrong way.
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"Modern aircraft require less maintenance than older aircraft."
Each old aircraft bears similarities with their replacements in regards to maintenance requirements in a line environment. IE; the 380 vs 747-400, and the 330 vs 767, and their reliability/maint demand. You could probably argue successfully that the newer types do drain more manhours during turnarounds.
What has changed though, is the maintenance procedures and certification privileges required to keep these aircraft operating in this day and age. The requirements seem to have become less stringent IMHO.
From reading the pilots thread, it looks like their ship is sorted.
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I think it would be better phrased as "our regulator require's less maintenance on aircraft".