Qantas announces thank you payments as engineers stage more industrial action

Qantas Airways is giving 27,000 employees a cash thank you as union members stage industrial action at airports across the country.

Qantas is handing out $1000 ‘thank you’ payments to 27,000 of the airline’s workers as industrial unrest continues.

The national carrier is set to spend $27m in its latest round of peacekeeping, as engineers across the country on Friday walked off the job, affecting peak hour flights.

About 600 line maintenance engineers carried out two four-hour stoppages during peak travel times at airports across the country on Friday morning, including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart.

Hundreds of Qantas engineers took industrial action on Friday morning over pay disputes. Picture: NewsWire / Ben Clark

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson told the airline’s annual general meeting held in Hobart on Friday that they working with unions to find a responsible pathway forward for both the business and workers.

“We absolutely value our engineers,” said during Qantas’ AGM.

“I want to thank them as I have thanked everyone for what we have achieved for the last 12 months.

“We want to see pay increases for our metal workers, apprentices and other benefits for these workers,” she continued.

Qantas engineers are pushing for a five per cent per year, with a 15 per cent first-year increase to compensate for three-and-a-half years of wage freezes, post pandemic.

They say Qantas has refused to up its initial offer of three per cent per year.

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson announced the $1000 bonus for 28,000 workers at the airline’s AGM. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

The engineers who took industrial action on Friday are responsible for conducting final safety checks before departure and towing and marshalling planes.

AWU national secretary Paul Farrow said Qantas had a “history of bad behaviour”.

“As Qantas celebrates another year of billion-dollar profits, we want to remind people that their success, and their strong safety record and reputation is due to the hard work of their engineers keeping the planes in the air,” Mr Farrow said.

“Qantas has a history of bad behaviour – ghost flights, illegally firing workers, rorting $2bn from the public and paying millions in executive bonuses, price gouging customers – but no one has held them to account.”

Qantas engineers from the Qantas Engineers’ Alliance (QEA) – which comprises major aviation unions the AMWU, the AWU, and ETU – will walk out from 6am AEST on Friday as well as 5pm AEST, for respective two hour stoppages.

As well as engaging in a strike, engineers also attended the Qantas AGM in Hobart.

AMWU national secretary Steve Murphy said “the industry expects the highest standards but Qantas delivers the lowest wages”.

“The workers who deliver Qantas’ world-class safety record have fallen off their radar. Ms Hudson needs to show that she can land a fair deal that gets these workers back on the job and the planes safely back into the air,” Mr Murphy said.

“The industry expects the highest standards but Qantas delivers the lowest wages. Qantas has refused to meet with the elected bargaining committee, while they draw up plans for the AGM to endorse more increases to executive salaries.

“If we are going to link any pay to Qantas’ performance, it should be the workers who deliver their world-class safety record and it’s those workers that should be paid the highest.”

The strikes were staged during peak travel times on Friday morning. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

A Qantas spokesman said “no impact” had been expected for customers from Friday’s industrial action.

“There’s been some industrial action by engineers since late September and so far we’ve been able to successfully ensure it hasn’t resulted in any flight delays or cancellations,” the spokesman said.

“There was also no impact to our operations following the action that was taken earlier this week. Our teams continue to do a great job helping customers get to their destination safely.

“We had a number of meetings with the unions prior to the industrial action. We want to continue to engage with them to find a way forward but they have chosen to take action.

“Our preference is to reach an agreement that includes pay rises and other benefits. This includes annual pay increases, increased apprentice pay, as well as new career progression opportunities and more advanced training.”

Friday’s strike follows several incidents of similar action since September.

Originally published as Qantas announces thank you payments as engineers stage more industrial action