Unions blast Qantas over the size of bonuses for four senior executives

Outraged unions are furious at the scale of the bonuses offered to four senior executives while the company confronts serious issues on the ground, including flight cancellations and baggage losses.

Unions have blasted Qantas for offering four senior executives “bonuses the size of a lotto win” amid flight cancellations, baggage losses and poor airline performance.

In an announcement to the ASX last month, the company said it would pay senior executives Vanessa Hudson, Gareth Evans, Andrew David and Olivia Wirth shares worth more than $4 million.

The bonuses will be paid in August 2023 depending on whether the executives meet performance targets. Mr Evans has since resigned.

Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association federal secretary Steve Purvinas took aim at the company, with on-time per­formance and cancellation rates the worst in the country for the past two months.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“From an engineer’s perspective, it’s absolutely disgusting that people are given bonuses the size of a lotto win and we are being labelled as greedy for wanting a pay rise when we have not had one in four years,” Mr Purvinas said.

“With the airline losing baggage and other deficiencies, how can they consider paying any bonuses whatsoever … They should be sacked. That is the way to deal with an underperforming executive team.”

In May, the company lost its appeal against a Federal Court decision that found the outsourcing of about 2000 ground crew workers was illegal.

Qantas is dealing with a public relations nightmare over flights since the airline returned to the sky as the pandemic continues. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

The company, led by chief executive Alan Joyce, will ­appeal to the High Court.

While offering the bonus to senior executives, the company will also reward around 20,000 eligible non-executive employees with rights to 1000 Qantas shares valued at about $5000.

A Qantas Group spokesman said “These are outrageous statements from the unions and completely ignore the fact that we intend to reward the contribution of all Qantas and Jetstar employees if the Group successfully delivers its COVID-recovery program. These unions know that since 2015 we have paid out more than $300 million in bonuses to our frontline staff.”