Qantas ends Sunrise talks with pilots, moves to vote

Qantas will ask pilots to vote on a deal to fly ultra long range Sunrise flights after rejecting a package proposed by the union.

Qantas pilots will be asked to vote directly on a new long haul enterprise agreement after the airline rejected a proposal from the union. Picture: Supplied.

Qantas will ask pilots to vote on a deal to fly ultra long range Project Sunrise flights next week after rejecting a package proposed by the union.

A message to pilots from the Qantas long haul enterprise agreement team laid out the timeline, declaring discussions with the Australian and International Pilots Association had been completed.

AIPA president Mark Sedgwick said the company’s “ultra aggressive approach was not welcome by a group of loyal and key employees in the airline”.

He said the deal Qantas would present to pilots represented what Qantas needed to meet its strict investment case for Project Sunrise.

“The AIPA team has worked hard through this EBA process especially in the last few weeks to generate a suitable package,” Mr Sedgwick said in an email to members.

“However, in the last few days Qantas advised that AIPA’s package did not meet their business case and therefore they would not agree to it.”

He said AIPA would have input into the drafting of the final enterprise agreement, to begin on Monday, and would offer “final guidance” for members on how to vote in the week starting March 9.

Qantas has threatened to create its own employment entity to operate the flights between Australia’s east coast and cities like London and New York if it could not reach agreement with pilots.

CEO Alan Joyce made it clear he wanted a decision by mid-March, so Qantas could place an order with Airbus for up to 12 A350-1000s by the end of the month.

Among the allowances Qantas has made in an effort to appease pilots was an improved overtime rate and some extra credits (or time off) for flights beyond 18 hours.

There is also believed to be a willingness to operate the missions with a captain, two first officers and a second officer, as opposed to one captain, one first officer and two second officers.

Pilots have told The Australian it was likely that the offer would be accepted by a narrow majority without AIPA’s endorsement, and by as many as 75 per cent if AIPA was in agreement.

“A lot of junior crew don’t want to see an external entity and many senior crew just want the back pay prior to retirement,” said one pilot who did not want to be named.

Meanwhile Jetstar was claiming victory in its dispute with ground crew, after workers voted yes to an offer the Transport Workers Union had rejected.

A package including a 3 per cent annual pay rise and back pay of up to $2000 was put to workers directly after negotiations with the union broke down.

The TWU said the yes vote was the result of Jetstar “blackmailing” the workers, with the threat of withdrawing the offer of back pay if they refused the deal.