Qantas bulletin

Qantas and the USU/ASU have agreed to meet on Tuesday, 30 August, to negotiate new working conditions for workers at the airline. The first meeting will include the USU/ASU presenting our member-endorsed Log of Claims, and Qantas will brief us on its business activity.

The airline has said it wants to kick the Senior Professional Group (SPGs) off the Agreement and on to individual contracts. We are committed to campaigning for one agreement for all, including the SPGs. We have told Qantas we don’t agree, and we need to get on with negotiating an agreement for all employees currently covered by the enterprise agreement. We are hoping they see sense and get on with these negotiations.

Over the last few years, Qantas has taken aggressive and extreme action toward its workforce. The airline has illegally outsourced its ground handlers and threatened to tear up the cabin crew agreement to pressure them into accepting lower working conditions.  Cutting SPGs out of the next enterprise agreement is yet another step in the airlines agenda. All workers are better off under one agreement to provide maximum protection for all, now and into the future.

Our enterprise agreement is there to provide entitlements for you but also restrain the executive’s power. Qantas can, of course, offer workers an entitlement greater than the enterprise agreement.
We will be out talking to members about how you can be involved in achieving your Log of Claims. What Qantas workers stand for is clear – our claims are below.  

If you or your colleagues aren’t already members of the USU/ASU, we encourage you to join your union today www.usu.org.au/join.

If you require any support or additional information, please contact your local USU/ASU delegates or USU/ASU organiser at:
 

Branch

Contact

Mobile

NSW US

Thomas Russell

0419 761 320

NSW/ACT Services

Rhiannon Robson

0418 336 345

VIC PS

Imogen Sturni

0433 339 656

QLD Together

Allison Finley-Bissett

1800 177 244

QLD Services

Glenn Desmond

0427 975 806

SA/NT

Lesley Till

0497 555 875

TAS

Aaron De La Torre

0427 813 821

WA

Yvonne Klaa

0417 969 767  

 

Log of Claims:

  1. A fair wage increase that values your work and enables workers to keep up with the rising costs of living.
  2. Qantas paying the bonus owing since 2018 for your significant contribution to Qantas
  3. Improving rostering and leave arrangements to ensure they are fair, give work/life balance, and align with best safety practices.
  4. Ensuring job security by:
    • improving consultation and agreement about major changes; and
    • limiting the use of contractors and providing a commitment that jobs will not be outsourced.
  5. Introducing transparent and fair rules around standing employees down from work that minimises the negative impact on staff.
  6. Ensuring union representatives are recognised and respected so that USU/ASU delegates can properly and fairly represent members at work.
  7. Modernise parental leave provisions to ensure they are gender-neutral and give all parents (primary and secondary carers) the chance to build a meaningful relationship with their children.
  8. Paying superannuation on all periods of parental leave.
  9. Improving processes like payroll mistakes and transferring between Qantas subsidiaries.
  10. Improving staff travel entitlements.
  11. Formalising arrangements that are currently inside letters.
  12. Improving the classification structure to recognise and value the skills and professional expertise of Qantas Employees and protect workers from underpayments
  13. Filling all vacant full-time roles using a transparent selection process agreed with the USU/ASU.
  14. Improving rights and procedures for Flexible Work Arrangements.
  15. Abolishing junior rates of pay, and
  16. Protecting or improving all of our existing terms and conditions.

If you have any questions about this email or need any assistance at work, please contact your USU organiser Thomas Russell on 0419 761 320 or via email at trussell@usu.org.au