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Qantas Engineers’ Alliance - logoQantas is on the verge of unprecedented turbulence, not in the air but on the ground, as its engineers prepare for a strike to wreak havoc on flights nationwide. The airline, which has recently posted record profits, is now grappling with industrial action from hundreds of its engineers, demanding fair wages after a long-standing freeze. This strike could potentially leave thousands of passengers stranded, particularly with significant events such as the AFL Grand Final and school holidays in full swing.

Scheduled to kick off on Thursday, September 26, in Melbourne, the strike will roll out over the next two weeks across all major Australian airports. Passengers are being warned to brace for significant disruptions, with cancellations and delays expected to plague flights in and out of the country’s largest cities.

What Sparked the Engineers’ Walkout?

The engineers’ grievance lies in a dispute over wages that have remained stagnant for over three years despite Qantas boasting billion-dollar profits and handing out hefty executive bonuses. The Qantas Engineers’ Alliance, a coalition made up of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), the Australian Workers Union (AWU), and the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), is spearheading the industrial action. According to the Alliance, the airline has systematically devalued the skills of its engineers, offering them no meaningful pay raises in almost a decade.

The union is calling for a 15% pay bump in the first year, followed by a 5% annual increase to compensate for the wage freezes that have left many engineers financially strained. This demand comes as Qantas continues to report soaring profits—profits that have sparked outrage among the workforce, which feels left behind by a company that has long relied on its expertise to maintain its stellar safety record.

Union Leaders Speak Out

“Nothing has changed at Qantas—our workers still feel undervalued, underpaid, and underappreciated,” said Steve Murphy, National Secretary of the AMWU. “Qantas has built its reputation on safety, and it’s our engineers who ensure that. They deserve fair wages for the exceptional work they do, day in and day out.”

AWU National Secretary Paul Farrow echoed this sentiment: “Engineers at Qantas are highly skilled professionals who take immense pride in ensuring passengers reach their destinations safely and on time. But you can’t expect to rake in billions in profit, give executives sky-high bonuses, and tell your engineers to accept less. At some point, enough is enough.”

Michael Wright, National Secretary of the ETU, added a stark warning for Qantas: “Qantas has always attracted the best and brightest in the industry, but if management continues to treat its engineers poorly, it’s clear what will happen. We’re already seeing the airline struggle to retain quality engineers, and some maintenance work is being outsourced offshore. That’s a dangerous path to go down.”

Impacts on Travelers: What to Expect

The timing of the strike couldn’t be worse for travellers. With school holidays in full swing and the AFL Grand Final on the horizon, any flight disruption will likely have a domino effect, stranding thousands of passengers nationwide. Justin Brownjohn, Operations Manager at the RMIT Aviation Academy and a former network controller for significant airlines, highlighted the challenges travellers would face in the coming days.

“Qantas will likely try to prioritize flights associated with the AFL Grand Final, but there could be significant cancellations across other routes,” Brownjohn explained. “The travel schedule is already tight, particularly heading into Melbourne for the long weekend, so any disruption is going to be difficult to recover from.”

Passengers holding budget airline tickets or those without frequent flyer status may wait longer for available seats. “If your flight is cancelled, the likelihood of being moved to another flight the same day is slim unless you have some priority status with the airline,” Brownjohn added. “Other airlines, like Virgin or Jetstar, are unlikely to increase their capacity because their flights are already fully booked.”

A Growing Crisis for Qantas

This strike underscores a growing crisis at Qantas, where mounting tension between the workforce and management threatens to undermine the airline’s operations. While Qantas has maintained a sterling reputation for safety, primarily due to the expertise of its engineers, the current impasse risks damaging its standing in the aviation world.

Due to a shortage of skilled engineers in Australia, the airline has already been forced to outsource some of its aircraft maintenance to international firms. The unions argue that unless Qantas starts treating its engineers fairly, it could face long-term damage to its reputation and, more critically, its safety record.

The Road Ahead: Negotiations or Escalation?

As the industrial action gains momentum, passengers are left in limbo, wondering if Qantas will sit down with the union to negotiate a deal or if the strikes will escalate further. The Engineers’ Alliance remains firm in its demand for wage justice, but Qantas has yet to signal any willingness to meet the union halfway.

The advice for travellers is clear: prepare for the worst. With limited alternatives and a tight travel schedule, flight cancellations could result in extended delays and significant inconvenience.

As the strike unfolds, all eyes are on Qantas to see if it can weather this storm and avoid long-lasting damage to its brand and operations. The coming weeks will be a critical test for the airline, not only in managing its workforce but in maintaining the trust of the travelling public.

In Conclusion, the Qantas engineers’ strike represents a significant challenge to the airline, both operationally and reputationally. Flights are set to be disrupted nationwide, and passengers are urged to prepare for potential delays as the airline faces its most severe industrial action in years.

 

 

 

Written by: Octavia Koo

 

 

 

 

 

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