AFAP Jetstar Update - Various Matters
Below is a short update on some topical issues that have been raised with the AFAP and or your JPF pilot’s representatives over the last month.
Annual leave 2024
The six programmed annual leave rounds as part of the Main Annual Leave Draw, including the Company allocated round, have now been completed as of the 7th October 2023. Open Leave is now open until July 2024.
The AFAP /JPF have received numerous complaints regarding the way the Company allocated round was conducted. Since that time there are currently zero slots available for the rest of the cohort to bid in the Open Leave Round.
For those pilots who are unhappy with the slots assigned in the Company allocated round, please remember you are able to offload this leave in Rocade (click on links/ APALS/ offer to offload). Each pilot is able to offload ALL unwanted leave into the system in the hope that another pilot in your cohort will pick this leave up. Currently there are numerous pilots looking for additional leave in the Open Leave round.
The conditions of offloading a leave slot are as follows (18.1.3 ACALS):
- You are unable to offload leave within 8 weeks of the start of the roster period in which the slot of annual leave commences; and
- If no one picks up the leave being offered for offload, once inside the 8-week period, the leave slot is then locked in as allocated and the pilot must take the leave.
Flexiline
Several members have reached out about the interaction of Flexiline and multiday trips for Narrow Body Pilots. We provide the following information as education on how the JPF believes, based on their own experiences and understanding of the Jeppesen Optimiser, to be the interaction of Flexiline work arrangements and the Jeppesen Optimiser:
A Flexiline pilot is available to the Company for 15 working days per calendar month with an EFA threshold of 56 hours. This is the nett zero position for the Jeppesen Optimiser, meaning the optimiser will make flexiline work every one of those 15 days. Regardless of JBID requests, this outcome is prioritised above a flexiline pilot's satisfaction. Therefore the ‘less dense’ FDPs are typically allocated to Flexiline pilots with a few day returns to meet the 15 day and 56-hour requirement.
For pilots whose goal is to work less and limit the number of overnights they are rostered, there are other options available that may be better suited to your circumstances:
- Carers Flexiline (CFL – A.8) – For pilots that have caring responsibilities, this is open for application every 12 months and has a 2% minimum availability. Pilots are to submit applications for CFL annually by no later than 30 September, for a fixed 12-month period of CFL commencing from the January roster period in the following calendar year.
- Full Time Carers Line (FTCL - EA 18) – For pilots that have caring responsibilities FTCL is open for application at any time and a pilot is able to request up to two consecutive weekdays as fixed days off (FDO).
- Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA) – For pilots 55 years and older wishing to ‘wind down’, you can apply for a FWA in accordance with the Qantas Group Flexible Working Arrangement Policy. Pilots are required to submit a written request (including providing reasons for and details of their request and any relevant supporting information) via the online ‘Request Flexible Work Arrangement’ form available in Workday.
If you would like further details about each working arrangement, please reach out to the AFAP at the contacts details below.
Dash (- - -) Days
We have had several reports of pilots being rostered Dash Days in the November roster period. These days are reflected on rosters as - - - and no roster code is applied.
From the examples we have seen it appeared this may have been a simple rostering error where Dash days were being rostered in place of the HTL code for layovers > 24 hours, however we flagged this anomaly with Jetstar to investigate further.
Jetstar has subsequently confirmed that it has not identified any issues with payroll reports, Rocade or hotel bookings in relation to the Dash Days being visible on roster reports rather than HTL. It is still investigating with Rocade why these Dash days are being rostered and we are hopeful this will be addressed for the December rosters.
Annual DDO allocation
We have been in recent discussions with Jetstar regarding the minimum 132 designated day off (DDO) allocation per calendar year (clause 46.6 of the EA). Jetstar has assured the AFAP that it has been monitoring and managing this requirement closely each roster build and is not expecting to encounter any issues with complying with its obligation under the EA.
Following publication of the December rosters later this month we still encourage pilots to do their own desk top audit of the total number of designated days off you have been rostered this year (inclusive of OFF, FDO, MOF, BOF, NDM, OFR, STR, PHO, AOF, LHO, LSO, POF roster codes) to ensure you have received the minimum 132 DDO annual allocation for 2023.
While clause 46.5 of EA prescribes a maximum number of 13 DDOs per roster period, we note that where a highline pilot has been previously rostered down to 9 DDOs (as per clause 46.6) Jetstar can publish a ‘Highline Replacement Day’ (coded as REP in your roster). This means that it is possible for a pilot to end up with 14 DDOs in a roster, with one of these being a REP day.
If pilots have any concerns with their annual 132 DDO entitlement you should contact your Base Manager in the first instance, and if unresolved please get in touch with the AFAP.
There is a PCC and an AFAP and Jetstar meeting scheduled for Friday 24th November. As always, we will provide members with a comprehensive update on the matters that were discussed at this meeting.
Your pilot representatives are on hand if you have any questions regarding above. Alternatively, you can contact your AFAP industrial officers Deanna Cain, Pat Larkins or Andrew Molnar via email deanna@afap.org.au, patrick@afap.org.au, or andrew@afap.org.au or call (03) 9928 5737.
Regards
AFAP Jetstar Pilot Federation Committee
Darren Fielder, Jeremy MacPhail, Daniel Blakemore, Ed Greenidge, Yianni Manousaridis, Dominic Corcoran, Mark Buttel, Darren Davis, Chris Gibson, Clinton Baxter, Andrew Ward, Christopher Doyle, Christo Hailes, Paul Hogan, Raj Krishnan