Qantas is bracing for significant flight disruptions tomorrow as hundreds of its engineers plan to coordinate strikes across major Australian airports. The industrial action comes amidst a heated wage dispute that has dragged on for months, leaving workers frustrated with management’s refusal to meet their pay demands. With Qantas’ Annual General Meeting (AGM) also taking place tomorrow, tensions are at an all-time high.
Engineers Strike During Peak Hours
Approximately 600 line maintenance engineers will down tools in two separate four-hour stoppages tomorrow, directly affecting Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and Hobart airports. These engineers are critical to the safe operation of Qantas flights, handling responsibilities like aircraft marshalling, towing, and conducting the final safety checks before takeoff.
The planned strikes are expected to coincide with peak travel times:
- Morning stoppages: 7 AM AEDT, 6 AM AEST, 6 AM ACST, 5 AM AWST
- Evening stoppages: 6 PM AEDT, 5 PM AEST, 6 PM ACST, 6 PM AWST
Passengers flying during these times should brace for delays and disruptions, with engineers halting work at critical moments.
A Union-Led Showdown at the Qantas AGM
As the engineers’ industrial action disrupts airports, union representatives will also be making their presence felt at the 2024 Qantas AGM in Hobart, set to begin at 11 AM AEDT. At the heart of the AGM is a contentious vote on executive salaries—a hot topic among shareholders following a tumultuous year for the airline.
The Qantas Engineers’ Alliance (QEA)—a coalition of three major unions, including the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), the Australian Workers Union (AWU), and the Electrical Trades Union (ETU)—has rallied behind the engineers. These unions have clarified that the workforce has lost confidence in the airline’s leadership, especially in light of the ongoing pay dispute.
At last year’s AGM, Qantas shareholders voted overwhelmingly against the company’s remuneration report, with an 83% rejection. This year, a second vote against the report could trigger a board spill, potentially reshaping the company’s leadership.
Months of Frustration Lead to Action
The strike is the latest escalation in an increasingly bitter dispute between Qantas management and its engineering workforce. The engineers’ current enterprise agreement expired in June, and negotiations for a new deal have been delayed since April.
The QEA has demanded a 5% wage increase yearly, including a 15% bump in the first year to compensate for years of wage freezes and align salaries with industry standards. Despite these demands, Qantas has stood firm, offering only a 3% annual raise, which workers say falls far short of what they deserve.
Union Leaders Speak Out
National Secretary of the AMWU Steve Murphy didn’t mince words when describing Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson’s challenges.
“Vanessa Hudson has got a number of headaches at the moment. On one hand, she’s got to compensate the workers that Qantas illegally sacked, and on the other, she’s got to compensate the workers that they have conveniently forgotten,” said Murphy.
“The workers who deliver Qantas’ world-class safety record have fallen off their radar. Vanessa Hudson needs to show that she can land a fair deal that gets these workers back on the job and the planes safely back into the air.”
Paul Farrow, the AWU’s national secretary, emphasized the role engineers play in ensuring the airline’s success. “As Qantas celebrates another year of billion-dollar profits, we want to remind people that their success, and their strong safety record and reputation, is due to the hard work of their engineers keeping the planes in the air,” Farrow stated.
He criticised Qantas’s history of misconduct: “Qantas has a history of bad behavior—ghost flights, illegally firing workers, rorting $2 billion from the public, paying millions in executive bonuses, and price gouging customers. But no one has held them to account.”
National Secretary of the ETU, Michael Wright, highlighted the engineers’ collective determination.
“These highly skilled Qantas workers are standing up and standing together. They know what they’re worth, and Qantas needs to pay them accordingly,” Wright said.
“Qantas’ safety record is only at such a high standard because of the excellent work these workers perform day in and day out. It’s time for Qantas to do the right thing, value the work, and pay the workers what they deserve.”
Impact on Qantas and Its Passengers
The industrial action is expected to cause significant delays across Australia’s busiest airports, affecting thousands of passengers flying during peak travel hours. While Qantas has yet to issue a formal statement regarding how it plans to manage the disruptions, passengers are advised to check for flight updates and prepare for potential delays.
For Qantas, the timing couldn’t be worse. With the AGM set to address executive pay and a looming shareholder revolt, the airline finds itself in a precarious position. A failure to resolve this wage dispute swiftly could result in long-term damage to its reputation, both with its workforce and its passengers.
As the battle between Qantas management and its engineers intensifies, all eyes will be on the AGM to see how the company navigates this turbulent moment.
Written by: Bridget Gomez
