The USU/ASU is calling on Qantas to come to the bargaining table and negotiate EBA 12 with the USU/ASU. Negotiations for the new enterprise agreement were to commence in 2020. Due to COVID-19, Qantas and the USU/SAU agreed to delay bargaining and focus on the impact of the pandemic. But now it’s time for us to get on with negotiations.
We have served Qantas with the USU/ASU member Log of Claims endorsed by USU/ASU members and your delegates from around the country are ready to get to work on improving our pay and conditions.
Qantas trying to cut safety net for SPGs
Qantas has written to the USU/ASU and proposed to exclude all the Senior Professional Group (SPGs) from the new enterprise agreement. This is despite these workers being covered by the enterprise agreement for decades, and despite the airline initially agreeing to include SPGs in EBA 12.
The USU/ASU has told Qantas we don’t agree and negotiations for ALL workers covered by EBA 11 need to start.
We have had strong feedback from SPGs and other members that they want to ensure all current workers remain covered by the new EBA. If the USU/ASU were to agree to carve out SPG positions, it would undermine their right to collectively bargain, give away hard-earned working conditions for our SPG members and weaken our overall position.
Let’s get on with it
The $5,000 bonus is being used as an incentive to divide and conquer by promising payment to some workers but seeking to remove conditions from others. Despite all the goodwill from workers during the pandemic and the current labour shortages, Qantas has still not paid the last 2018 bonus to employees.
The airline has taken extreme action against ramp workers and cabin crew, and they may continue to seek to exclude SPGs or cut other working conditions for USU/ASU members. The best way to improve and protect your working condition is to be active in the USU/ASU.
It’s time for Qantas to get to work negotiating with the USU/ASU and rewarding its workers for carrying the airline through COVID-19.
