TRANSCRIPT
Around one thousand Qantas engineers in most capital cities around Australia have walked off the job in peak hour, in a continuation of action started last week.
They're angry Qantas is not meeting their pay demands- and have timed the strike to coincide with a usually-busy travel period, centred around football finals and school holidays.
They have protested outside the airline's headquarters in Sydney - the office for most of Qantas' executives.
The striking workers say it is unfair that these executives earn millions of dollars in bonuses, while the striking workers have their pay rises capped at three per cent.
The company posted a net profit of 1.25 billion dollars last financial year.
The displeasure is perhaps most keenly distilled in the airline's founding state of Queensland, where much crucial maintenance on the whole Qantas aircraft fleet is performed.
Speaking in Brisbane with striking workers there: Stacey Schinnerl, the Queensland Branch Secretary of the Australian Workers Union.
She says, for these workers, it's been a long tale of woe that needs to come to an end.
"Over the last decade, our members have endured four wage freezes, which has effectively meant that their real conditions have hurtled backwards, where cost of living has hurtled forwards. Over the course of the last decade, their wages have only grown 12 per cent... whereas CPI has seen our cost of living increased by 23 per cent."
Ms Schinnerl explaining just how far apart the workers and Qantas are.
"So, we've been negotiating now for many months. Essentially, what these workers are seeking is a five per cent per annum increase, and a two-level increment increase as well. At the moment, the offer from Qantas is only three per cent per annum, and that's it."
The workers say Qantas owes them for their sacrifices through events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of Australia's largest and most well-known companies, Qantas' reputation has taken something of a battering over recent years.
Ms Schinnerl played on that, as she pressures Qantas to accede to her workers' demands.
"If there's one positive thing that this organisation is still known for, it's their fantastic safety record. And that safety record- and the fantastic level it is at- is because of the workers standing behind me.”
The first Monday of the striking period, which is planned to last for about two weeks, saw minimal problems for passengers.
The airline claims there were no flight disruptions or cancellations that were a result of the industrial action
The strikers claim they are not just fighting for the workers of today, but tomorrow as well.
Gary Strauss is from the Queensland Branch of the United Workers Union.
He says Australia depends on a healthy aviation industry more than most- and there are some interesting demographics underpinning that.
"The aviation industry is interesting, because it's an ageing workforce. And a lot of the younger workers that are coming through, they like the idea of working on a plane, they understand that keeping planes in the air is vital to our economy. Australia relies heavily on tourism. And Qantas play a big part in that."
However, he emphasises that it's not just a matter of wanting to work for Qantas, but being able to afford to as well.
A point bluntly backed up by Scott Reichman of the Electrical Trades Union.
"We've got apprentices expected to come into this industry- the future of the country- getting paid 12 or 13 dollars an hour. You just can't pay the rent, pay your car loan, and put food on the table."
Engineering and maintenance staff make up about ten per cent of Qantas' total workforce of about 30,000 people.
In a statement, Qantas says it is committed to reaching an agreement that includes annual pay increases, increased apprentice pay, new career progression opportunities, and more advanced training.
But negotiations have been going since in April, and the relevant enterprise agreement expired in June.
Ms Schinnerl says the dispute is not likely to end any time soon.
"You know what? Qantas has the power to end this today. The best scenario here: this would be the first and last time we see this industrial action. I like to think positively, that Qantas will do the right thing. But, reality is telling me that you'll likely see us out here time and time again, for some time to come."]]
Qantas says it has contingencies in place if the industrial action continues
