Qantas engineer strike hits Hobart ahead of AGM

A protest is taking place outside Hobart’s Crowne Plaza, where Qantas is hosting its annual general meeting, supporting an engineer strike. The latest.

Qantas workers strike in Hobart, October 25, 2024. Picture: Nikki Davis Jones

Dozens of people have rallied outside the Crowne Plaza in Hobart — where Qantas is hosting its annual general meeting today — to show their support for the Qantas engineer strike.

One engineer from Melbourne, who has been with Qantas for 33 years, said the company put profit ahead of people and the skies aren’t safe when their specialist personnel aren’t adequately compensated or valued.

The crowd is chanting and singing as union leaders address the crowd.

“They are eating the pie and we can’t even get a slice,” Steve Murphy, the AMWU National Secretary, said.

Adrian Shaw – CEPU state organiser for Tas. Qantas workers strike in Hobart, October 25, 2024. Picture: Nikki Davis Jones

A small police presence is present.

A contingent of aviation workers from the North of Tasmania have travelled south to join the demonstration.

They have been striking for 20 weeks and say strike action is the only way to make big companies listen.

A Qantas spokesperson told the Mercury that no flights in Hobart have been impacted by the strike action as engineers are not based in the city.

Qantas workers strike in Hobart, October 25, 2024. Picture: Eleanor De Jong

Qantas’s new CEO will address media and shareholders at 11am Hobart time.

About 600 line maintenance engineers are expected to carry out two four-hour stoppages across the country today.

MORE TO COME.

Originally published as Qantas engineer strike hits Hobart ahead of AGM