AFAP Qantas Short Haul EA Update No. 2
As per our Briefing last week the AFAP has presented a summary of our survey results and the priority claims to Qantas. Please find here a copy of the presentation made to Qantas.
Key Priorities
Our presentation highlighted the following key priorities which Short Haul consistently identified through the survey and in direct feedback to the AFAP:
- Improved lifestyle (time at home)
- Pay certainty
- Density of flying hours to duty hours
Improved lifestyle
Pilots were clear that the current Short Haul EA did not provide enough guaranteed time at home and that the current agreement does not sufficiently protect against infringement of this time during the live roster. This is unsurprising given that Qantas Short Haul have fewer days off and less hours protections around those days off when compared to Virgin and Jetstar.
The AFAP proposed the following measures to address this:
- Increased X days per bid period;
- Improved hours protections around X days;
- Right to refuse work on an X day;
- Rostered Home Base sign-on and sign-off buffers that apply to replacement duties in a disruption;
- Duties assigned from reserve cannot be rostered where it will disrupt other duties.
Pay certainty
Pilots reinforced that roster disruption often results in less income, with the Roster Disruption Credit (RDC) not valued by pilots given the flexibility it offers Qantas. The combination of lack of roster protection and low MGH means the financial risk associated with disrupted flying is borne by the individual pilot. Given there is little in the agreement to protect against disruption pilots want security of the income they will receive.
- Roster publish credit protection
- Increased MGH
Density of flying hours to duty hours
Pilots comments reinforce concern that there is little incentive to provide dense flying with a low Minimum Guaranteed Hours (MGH) and a lack of Ratio in Guarantees (RIGs) providing a base line of credited hours for each duty hour or hour away from home. Further the additional days off in low fly Roster Periods do not increase guaranteed time at home as pilots can still be required to work.
The AFAP proposed a number of measures to address rostering efficiency (density) and security of income including:
- Increased MGH
- Introduction of a Duty RIG
- Introduction of a Trip RIG on all overnight patterns
- Reserve credits on all reserve duties including when not called out
- 100% positioning credits
A combination of these improvements would ensure that minimum time at work (duty hours) and time away on overnight duties will be compensated to a minimum level using international productivity agreements RIGs from US carriers such as Delta and United.
Base Salary
The AFAP advised that our position on base salary increases will depend on the outcome in regard to the above issues around lifestyle, density of flying and certainty of income.
The AFAP confirmed our position is that the Qantas Wages’ Policy is unsustainable in the current circumstances because of the:
- High and persistent levels of inflation
- Pilot shortage and opportunity for pilots to pursue opportunities overseas (we noted US labour department data shows 1505 E3 visas issued in 2022, 176 for Q1 2023)
- Profitability of the Short Haul operation
- Continued outsourcing of work within and outside the QF Group
In response Qantas advised that it was not concerned about pilots moving overseas and that the Short Haul operation had a low attrition rate. The AFAP highlighted that due to the age profile of the pilot group a significant number of retirements were approaching, which Qantas’ agreed was the case.
Next Steps
Qantas has confirmed to the AFAP that a formal EA offer had been made to AIPA on 27 November, which was rejected by AIPA. Qantas advised that it has subsequently put forward to AIPA an updated position with discussions continuing this week.
Qantas has refused to provide its offer to the AFAP, advising it wanted the negotiations to remain confidential and that it did not want the offer shared with the pilot group. Qantas clearly do not want to provide this offer to the AFAP because we will ensure much needed transparency will be brought to these negotiations.
Qantas has also advised that its view is the overall bargaining process will not be assisted if it disclosed to the AFAP the detail of the offers. We can only assume this is because Qantas believes the AFAP will not entertain the offer as it falls short in the areas we have identified as priorities for our members.
We have written to Qantas advising that by not providing the offer it is in breach of the good faith bargaining requirements in the Fair Work Act and provided a deadline of the end of this week to provide the offer. If the offer is not provided by the deadline we will consider our next steps including whether to escalate and seek bargaining orders from the Fair Work Commission.
For any general inquiries regarding this update or other matters at Qantas please contact the AFAP legal and industrial team of Senior Legal/ Industrial Officer Pat Larkins (patrick@afap.org.au), Senior Industrial Officer Chris Aikens (chris@afap.org.au), or Executive Director Simon Lutton (simon@afap.org.au).
Regards,
AFAP Qantas Pilot Council
Michael Egan - Chair
Mark Gilmour - Vice- Chair
Daniel Kobeleff - Secretary
Michael Armessen - Committee Member