Qantas workers demonstration campaign

Qantas workers are planning a series of street marches that will block roads around the country as they fight against the airline's plans to cut 5000 jobs and send positions offshore.

At a rally near Sydney Airport on Sunday attended by about 50 workers and family members, Transport Workers Union national secretary Tony Sheldon said aviation workers were determined to fight for the airline, not against it.

"Our intention is not to dislocate travellers, but we will take whatever steps necessary into the future to make sure Qantas doesn't part-time our jobs," Mr Sheldon said. "And that includes civil disobedience as long as the public is prepared to stick with us."

When asked whether the union would consider stop-work meetings or strike action, he said at this stage its focus was mostly on demonstrations.He said there was more action planned by the TWU and other unions over coming weeks.

At the rally, Qantas workers told of the stress that had been caused by the company asking staff to cut hours to part-time and the uncertainty over where the majority of job cuts would be made.
Jim Mitropoulos, who has worked as a baggage handler for Qantas for 28 years, said the workers earning $18 an hour could not be blamed for the company's problems.

"We've dug our heels in and we'll see the Irish man out," Mr Mitropoulos said, blaming the airline's chief executive, Alan Joyce, for its woes.

"It's the upper management team that's to blame, and their business plan, and its time for someone different to have a turn."

Mr Sheldon said: "We've now got 4000 people who don't have part-time bills, but have part-time jobs."
"These aren't rich people behind me, they make $51,000 a year."

Mr Mitropoulos said that as one of the last full-time baggage handlers, he was being pressured to leave the company.
"At our last enterprise bargaining negotiations, full-time workers were referred to as dinosaurs from the past."

He said he would have to sell his Penshurst house if his hours were cut to part-time and he would worry about his children's future.

Don Dixon, a baggage handler at the domestic airport, said each of the workers present represented a further 10 to 15 who could not be there.

"Hundreds of people were rostered on and are still working. We asked them not to come.
"This is not about attacking the Australian flying public, we want every family to keep flying and keep spending their money."

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