From nine.com.au



Pilots at Tigerair have announced they will take industrial action at airports across Australia to dispute a current pay agreement.

The strike will take place over a four-hour period between (5am-9am) on Friday, and involve pilots with membership to the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP).

“The decision to engage in a work stoppage was not made lightly,” Senior Industrial Officer James Lauchland said in an official statement this afternoon.

“Tigerair pilots fly the same aircraft as their counterparts at Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas but this is not reflected in their employment conditions.

“The current agreement is well below industry standards, both in terms of pay and conditions. Tigerair pilots are simply looking for a fair deal.

“Tigerair insists on finding savings in return for our claims for industry standard pay and conditions.”

About 75 per cent of Tigerair pilots are members of the AFAP.

Alliance to the rescue again I assume. Alliance laughing, Virgin bleeding.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/trave...250d9b4a62fa9e

I’m sure Merren’s got it all under control. :}

Is there any truth to the rumour that whilst the AFAP have been taking Industrial Action in the form of bans on working days off and the impending stop work tomorrow, that VIPA have ceased all forms of industrial action?

If that’s the case that is nothing short of a disgrace and needs to be called out as such.

Furthermore, that same rumour suggests that there are a handful of VIPA members who are actively working on their days off - which I suppose they are entitled to do. So much for solidarity.

If those rumours are true, then any further progress to the negotiations are because of the AFAP and their members fighting the good fight, despite the other ‘union’ (a term I use pretty loosely) in the room.

Mabye Merren should pick up and phone and give Tony Davis a call. Ask him what happened when he screwed around with his Tiger Singapore Pilots pay back in 2010. Half the captains walked, 40% of flights cancelled and had to pay skippers 300 grand to stay on. Screwed the company for years to come and he got the boot. Mabye she wants the boot too?

So if all the VA group pilots were combined into one “pilot list” for “better bargaining muscle” why are the Tiger Crews doing this alone?

Because any other VA Group pilot taking any form of action (Secondary Boycott) could find themselves in a bit of strife for taking Unprotected (illegal) Industrial Action.

Guys and girls I speak to on the line are certainly supportive of TT pilots in what they are trying to achieve - they just can’t take any action, thanks to the Fair Work Act.

Are you “Hearing” those rumours or “Starting” those rumours?
On the flip side, why has the AFAP been virtually silent whilst VIPA has been working tirelessly in an effort to make the VA board realise that John Thomas is the obvious choice for CEO. Not a word from the Feds.
And not to detract from the importance of fighting for the Tiger guys and girls but surely this is a much bigger issue to fight for, and yet there’s not a single word coming from the AFAP voicing their members concerns.
Although of course, that could just be a rumour!

Because the Chairman removed him as she didn’t like him/never agreed with him/didn’t get along with him. She ain’t gonna re hire the fella she got rid off!

I just wouldn’t even bother wasting the time fighting it. You would need to remove the chairman for that to gain legs.

And yet he’d be the safest choice for the Chairman as he’d be the only prospective CEO who’s legally obligated not to divulge what a mess the current CEO has made.

So the unions lobby to appoint CEOs now...Good luck with that one.

Indeed there are a few pilots working on their days off (obviously entitled to but results in very short term gain) but you could literally count those with one hand. I think out of 200 or so Pilot’s that shows pretty good solidarity!

No. Only one union does.
The other union says nothing.

As previously pointed out by others, the company board are NEVER going to appoint a CEO that the unions say. In particular it’s laughable even more to suggest they will appoint one that the same board approved to be fired.

As for the VA pilots supporting the tiger pilots, I think you will find they absolutely do and hope they can get all they can. From an industrial point of view they are a seperate company and covered under a seperate EBA, therefore under the FWA they are not allowed at all to participate.

Both unions (VIPA and AFAP) have to also apply separately for any industrial action. They can’t automatically just do something together. In fact the company can argue for joint action to be rejected and I believe that is infact their tactic here.

VIPA members choose to "keep talking"
VIPA president John Lyons told Workplace Express today that his members do not want to take protected action at this stage because the airline has "moved considerably" and they hope to complete negotiations soon, without the need for it.
"We fully endorse the action of the AFAP but our members have indicated that they would prefer to keep talking at the moment," Lyons said.

Well it seems to me that the rumours were in fact true. Perhaps you would like to explain Bullwinkle why you think it’s acceptable for VIPA to ride on the coat tails of the AFAP. Why weren’t VIPA continuing to apply industrial pressure on the company by conducting PIA? What do VIPA members think of their Union’s behaviour whilst AFAP members have done a remarkably good job in sticking together during this Industrial Action.

Perhaps it is time VIPA stop with the chest thumping and talks of working with the AFAP when all they do is undermine the AFAP in a shallow attempt to attract new members.

And finally, the old JT chestnut - an organisation would have to be so industrially naive and over think their own self sense of importance if they honestly think that they have any sway on convincing a board to appoint a CEO whom they sacked 6 months ago as COO. So maybe it’s just simply that the AFAP aren’t stupid.