USU/ASU members want Jetstar to pay them the right amount and on time. How hard can it be? But many USU/ASU members have had serious pay issues since the start of the JobKeeper scheme.

USU/ASU Organisers met with the Jetstar management team last Friday. We made it clear to Daniel Banens, Stuart Ryan, Renee Saibi, Maciek Zielinski and Mariella Zanello that they needed to get JobKeeper paid correctly and urgently fix all payroll issues. This is a short list of all the issues members have already raised with us, there are many more:

  1. Employees who have nominated Jetstar as their primary employer should be paid a pro-rated payment for 1 to 3 April 2020

Employees believe they should be paid a pro-rated JobKeeper payment from the first period of Stand Down commencing 1 April 2020 which overlapped with the Jetstar pay period of 21 March to 3 April 2020. We know that many of you have been stood down since 1 April, making the dates 1 to 3 April eligible for a pro-rated JobKeeper payment.

When we spoke to management, Jetstar confirmed they had decided to offset all earnings for the pay period 21 March to 3 April 2020 against the first JobKeeper payment owed to eligible employees who nominated Jetstar as their primary employer. This means almost no one received the wage subsidy from Jetstar even though they lost pay – Jetstar have decided to bank it for themselves.

The USU/ASU believes Jetstar’s decision is unfair and not in the spirit of the JobKeeper benefits which were always intended to flow to employees.

  1. Jetstar employees covered by the Jetstar/ASU Agreement 2018 have been entitled to a 3% salary increase ‘…from the first full pay period on or after …1 April 2020’

The increase owed on the usual pay date of 24 April 2020 but has not been updated nor back paid for 1 to 3 April.

  1. Payslips are not showing any increase to annual leave accruals since stand downs started

  2. A number of USU/ASU members have notified us that Jetstar is their primary employer but the first JobKeeper payment processed 17 April 2020 by the Company, was not applied to their wages for the pay period 21 March to 3 April 2020

At the meeting with the Company last Friday, Jetstar said they would have to investigate this issue. They also said they referred to each employee’s current tax declaration in order to determine which employees would get the first JobKeeper payment but earlier they confirmed it would still be off-set against wages earned for the pay period 21 March to 3 April 2020!

This may explain why some staff who were expecting to receive a JobKeeper payment around 17 April were left short of funds. We have requested this matter be urgently investigated and to ensure that there are no discrepancies between who was determined eligible for the first JobKeeper payment processed 17 April 2020 and who will have affirmed their nomination to be paid JobKeeper in time for the next JobKeeper payment to be processed on 30 April 2020.

We requested this information broken down by port be provided to the USU/ASU as a matter of urgency. To date it has not been received.

  1. A number of USU/ASU members have told us that they received payments for some or all of the public holidays not worked over the Easter long weekend.

         Employees want these payments explained.

  1. A number of USU/ASU members have told us about unexplained amounts received from Jetstar on their usual pay date of 24 April, for the most recent pay period 5 to 17 April 2020.

It is both unclear on payslips what these payments are for and since Jetstar have said they will be offsetting wages against each JobKeeper payment, it is also unclear whether the unexplained payments will be offset against the next JobKeeper payment to be processed on 30 April 2020.

We are writing to Jetstar, asking them to fix the problems and explain what is going on. A copy of our letter is attached to this update.

I have an issue with my pay, what should I do?

You need raise a payroll inquiry through JEN, explaining your problem. Attach any supporting document or evidence. Then send a copy of your payroll complaint to renee.saibi@jetstar.com as well as your local USU/ASU organiser Thomas Russell.

We’re keeping track of the issues, so we can raise them with Jetstar collectively

The USU/ASU is preparing to take Jetstar to the Fair Work Commission to expose their appalling behaviour. If you have been impacted by Jetstar’s actions, we need to hear from you urgently.

Complete this short survey here and all information will be treated confidentially.

Speak to your organiser for more information.

If you are not a member of the USU/ASU now is the time to join — www.usu.org.au/join

USU ORGANISER

Thomas Russell

0419 761 320