The TWU has slammed Qantas’ huge profits while the company continues its aggressive anti-worker strategy that saw Alan Joyce depart the airline in disgrace.
Despite a dip from last year’s near-record profits, the airline’s still-mammoth underlying pre-tax profits of $2.06 billion were revealed today as over 600 Qantas ground workers vote on industrial action, with 100 more set to join them.
The remaining 600 Qantas Ground Services (QGS) workers, after 1800 ground staff were illegally outsourced, have seen pay, safety and conditions drop to rock-bottom levels. Today a vote on industrial action ends, with another vote soon to commence for Australian Air Express workers, a subsidiary of Qantas.
While Qantas workers used to all be employed directly by the company, they are now scattered across 38 different subsidiaries and labour hire companies, which has led to a revolving door in aviation, shocking safety concerns, and a dysfunctional aviation sector for the travelling public.
Recently TWU health and safety reps in NSW served Qantas with 14 provisional improvement notices over safety failings by management at Qantas Freight, where investigations are ongoing after a labour hire Qantas Freight worker was killed last year.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said:
“New Qantas management is still following the playbook that was written by Alan Joyce: short-term profits over absolutely anything else.
“Just in the last year we have seen Qantas continue to outsource work to companies with rock-bottom conditions, say it will offshore 1000 jobs in an AI deal, and close vital regional bases.
“Hundreds of Qantas workers are now voting on industrial action. They’ve had enough of this company doing everything possible to make their jobs less secure and less safe.
“The Australian community cannot continue to accept jobs and service standards going backwards while Qantas rakes in billions. It is vital the government urgently commences consultation on the format and powers of its newly announced aviation industry coordination council and, if necessary, legislate to ensure it becomes a permanent remedial and advisory body.
“We must ensure Qantas profits benefit the whole Australian public, not just Qantas executives.”
