Qantas cuts 200 jobs in Brisbane as call centre looks set to close

MORE than 250 Qantas workers in Brisbane who face losing their jobs in latest round of cuts at airline say they only found out when the media began calling.

TWO hundred and seventy Qantas workers in Brisbane were last to find out they'd lost their jobs this morning.

Australian Services Union Queensland assistant secretary Irene Monro told The Courier-Mail that Qantas had already updated its website and media reports when workers were told to assemble for a meeting this morning.

The closures are part of the airline's $2 billion cost-cutting drive, and associated reduction of 5000 jobs.

Ms Monro said just about everybody else was told about the call centre closures "before over 500 staff in Melbourne and Brisbane found out they no longer have jobs".

"They've called staff in without notice. I got call from a delegate saying why are Qantas calling us in for meeting. Delegates found out about the meeting 10 minutes before we found out about the closure from media.

"That's just not the way someone like Qantas, an iconic Australian employer, should treat its staff," she said.

Ms Monro said the union was "certainly stunned to hear this morning from staff and from media that the decision to close was today".

"We were disappointed that the process wasn't followed as it should."

The union rubbished Qantas' attempts to play down losses with an offer to relocate workers to Hobart.

"It's an age-old trick by employers who say sure we will relocate you when the reality is there are limited jobs in those call centres. It's been put up as smoke and mirrors.

"If they were good employers, they would have sat down and answered questions beforehand such as how many people can you take, can you give people 12 months notice... They haven't done that."

The Brisbane call centre in Adelaide Street has been operating since the mid-1990s.

One of the longest serving employees, she said, had been in the role for over 35 years, transitioning over from Trans Australia Airlines (which Qantas acquired in 1992).

Qantas this morning announced via media statement that it would close its Brisbane call centre by 2016 - where there were currently 200 full-time equivalent jobs, and its Camberwell call centre by mid-next year - where there were 250 equivalent full-time positions.

Ms Monro was also heavily critical of the State Government which she said refused to discuss the future of the call centre jobs.

"We're also a bit upset because we know Qantas has had meetings with the State government to foreshadow this closure. We sought a meeting with Premier Newman to see what could be done to mitigate this closure and he's ignored attempts to meet. It's also the government not being seen to care about the fate of workers who lose their jobs in Queensland."

She said to "add insult to injury they have made a decision to leave the call centre in Auckland open. We've got great concerns that any residual jobs that aren't taken to Hobart are offshored. If work is going to be done, it should not be outsourced, We will never get it back. Once it's gone that's it."

"Having call centres in three different states presents a number of challenges including property costs, duplication of management and operational complexity."

Qantas Domestic Chief Executive Lyell Strambi said operating call centres in three different states was simply not efficient, particularly as customers were increasingly communicating with the airline online, and through social media.

"We are facing some of the toughest conditions Qantas has ever seen which means we have to look at ways to become more efficient and remain competitive," he said.

In addition, call volumes have halved since 2005, Mr Strambi said.

"We now see 30-times more visits from customers to qantas.com than we receive in our call centres," he said.

"This is a long term change in customer behaviour that we expect to continue."

About 200 full-time staff are employed in the Brisbane call centre which will close by 2016. The Melbourne centre, which employs 250 people will close down by mid-next year.

Mr Strambi said Hobart was the "logical choice" for the single call centre because of its space and modern facilities.

It is not clear how many people will be employed in Hobart - which already has a staff of 200 - but Mr Strambi said they were seeking expressions of interest from employees interested in redeployment.

All others will be offered redundancy packages.