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The chances that up to 650 Qantas staff will strike for 24 hours next week appears “likely”, the Transport Workers Union has warned.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine spoke to the ABC outside the Fair Work Commission where Qantas and union staff have reportedly been deadlocked for hours after 11 months of negotiations for better pay and conditions.
“Qantas operates essentially a sham arrangement where it puts these companies that they own in competition with one another to try and get to the cheapest outcome,” Mr Kaine said.
“These workers are not going to stand for it and that means very likely industrial action next Thursday. It means disruption.
“Workers are sorry for their part in that, but they’re not sorry for standing up to this company that continues to be belligerent, that continues to act like the corporate dictator,” he said.
The planned 24-hour strike action on Thursday relates to QantasLink flights out of Sydney and freight services but may affect those travelling to selected regional areas.
School holidays are about to begin in Queensland, Victoria and the Northern Territory.
Qantas has contingencies for ground service crew action
The industrial action involves about 650 ground service crew, with most working on Qantas Freight and a smaller proportion servicing QantasLink flights at Sydney Airport.
These workers do not service Qantas mainline and international services, or QantasLink at any other airport.
Qantas said it had developed contingency plans to minimise any impact on QantasLink customers and operations, if industrial action went ahead.
“We remain committed to reaching an agreement with our Qantas Ground Services employees that includes annual pay rises for our people,” it said in a statement.
Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine said workers were not taking the action lightly.
“Any disruption to freight, including Australia Post shipments, sits solely at the feet of Qantas management and its brutal disregard for customers and the workforce,” Mr Kaine said.
In a statement, Australia Post said should industrial action occur, it had “detailed contingency plans in place” and would work closely with freight partners to minimise any impact on customers and delivery services.
Transport Workers’ Union national secretary Michael Kaine. (AAP: Lukas Coch)
Mr Kaine blamed increasing casualisation and insecure work for the ground crew for contributing to “shocking safety failures”, something Qantas disputes.
“This action comes just over a year after a Qantas Freight worker was tragically killed on Father’s Day, ” he said.
Qantas disputes TWU claims that safety incidents have increased since ground handling moved to Swissport more than five years ago.
Mr Kaine claims Qantas is continuing to “splinter” its workforce to suppress wages and “smash conditions”.
“This is corporate greed on steroids, and it comes at the expense of quality service for customers, and safe, reliable jobs for the workforce.”
Qantas ground staff vote for strike
Qantas said discussions through the Fair Work Commission had been constructive and negotiations were continuing.
“Our focus is on an agreement that addresses what employees have told us matters most, including pay and more full-time opportunities,” it said.