STRIKE ACTION TO PROCEED AS TWU REJECTS QANTAS OFFER

SYDNEY, 26 October 2011: The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) has again rejected a new offer of increases in pay and conditions for around 3,800 Qantas baggage handlers, ground handlers, catering staff and other transport employees.

The offer, which was made during a meeting today between the airline and the union, was an increase on the offer the TWU rejected last week and included similar pay increases to those reached with cabin crew and airport check-in staff and included assurances around the use of third party suppliers.

Qantas is finalising a new schedule and will contact passengers who face significant delays from the TWUs nationwide one hour strikes at various times on Friday 28 October. The strikes will cause 66 flights to be delayed by up to 70 minutes affecting 10,100 passengers.

Qantas Group Executive Operations Lyell Strambi said Qantas was disappointed that the union was refusing to agree to a deal which would see Qantas workers remain the highest paid in the aviation industry and provide far more guarantees than any other airline was prepared to make.

“We have made the union our best offer but they are refusing to agree to it. We have made it clear that industrial action will not have any bearing on the outcome of negotiations,” Mr Strambi said.
“We have tried extremely hard to do a deal and we made the union an offer that was well in excess of the recent agreement that the TWU reached with Virgin.

“We tried to compromise on a number of matters however we just cannot agree to all of their demands. In particular, demands that would make Qantas less efficient and compromise our ability to compete effectively.”

“Qantas completely rejects claims that we won’t be employing any more employees in Qantas or our subsidiary Qantas Ground Services, that we have not negotiated in good faith or that we are offashoring TWU jobs. The reality is that TWU members – baggage handlers, ground handlers and catering staff employed are in Australia. These roles will always be based in Australia.”

UPDATE ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH PILOTS’ UNION

Qantas will meet with the Australian and International Pilots Association for further conciliation talks before Fair Work Australia on Friday. The union refused a meeting last week with Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce.

Qantas has indicated the whole way through negotiations that it cannot and will not agree to the union’s so-called ‘job security’ claim which would see Jetstar pilots effectively get the same premium pay and conditions as Qantas pilots.