Qantas: millionaires trashing the brand

This afternoon’s decision by Qantas to ground its fleet and lock out its workforce is a serious over-reaction by management that will hurt all Qantas employees and customers, the ACTU said today.

ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence called on Qantas management to reverse their decision and get back to the negotiating table to get an agreement with their workforce.

“Alan Joyce needs to urgently reverse this lock-out and grounding,” Mr Lawrence said.

“This is a most unusual decision which is completely unwarranted, and will only hurt Qantas’ brand and customers.

“Qantas employees are as shocked and stunned at this extreme decision as passengers are.

“Workers at Qantas are simply seeking to negotiate new pay and conditions, and some guarantees from management about job security.

“But bargaining at Qantas has broken down because of management’s refusal to negotiate.

“Industrial action at Qantas has been limited, and some unions have actually called off industrial action for several weeks, but Qantas has continued to snub its workforce.

“This irresponsible action by Alan Joyce will hurt innocent bystanders, including the traveling public and the majority of the Qantas workforce who are currently not in bargaining with management.

“We call on Qantas to calm down, and immediately reverse this rash decision because the only way this dispute will be resolved is through negotiation, not by holding Australian workers and the public to ransom.”

The ACTU has called an urgent hook-up of Qantas unions tonight to discuss the developments.

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Independent Senator Nick Xenophon accused Qantas of "militant management" over its decision to ground all its planes over a long-running industrial dispute.

"Alan Joyce doesn't need any help trashing Qantas' brand. He's done a pretty good job so far and this bizarre move appears to be the next phase in a plan to gut the flying kangaroo."Senator Xenophon said Mr Joyce needed to explain how long he had been planning to ground the airline.

"When did Qantas notify other airlines to expect a sudden increase in demand and when did Qantas begin checking hotel availability in various locations around the world," he said.

Senator Xenophon urged the federal government to step in and quickly resolve the issue.
He said said he still expected Qantas management to appear at a Senate inquiry next Friday on legislation he introduced concerning the off-shoring of Qantas. "As far as I am concerned Mr Joyce can get a bus to Canberra," he said.

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The National Essential Report survey showed that 67 per cent of the 1,018 poll respondents agreed that Qantas employees' grievances are legitimate while only 13 per cent disagreed.

In another blow to Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce, 70 per cent of survey respondents believe that his $5 million annual compensation is excessive; only 7 per cent sided with Mr Joyce.

The survey also found that 88 per cent of Australians want to keep jobs in the country and only 7 per cent agreed with a plan to shift the hub to southeast Asia.

"Alan Joyce and his team have spent tens of millions of dollars trying to convince the public that shifting the airline to southeast Asia is necessary and that Qantas workers are somehow trying to destroy the campaign," Australian and International Pilots Association Vice President Richard Woodward said.

"What they obviously didn't count on is that Australians aren't that easy to fool," Mr Woodward pointed out.