President’s Opinion

As the end of the year gets closer, things just keep getting busier at ALAEA headquarters. Our campaign of industrial action against Qantas is now underway, with rolling stoppages in capital cities slated from now until December. Good luck to all our members out there who will be participating in this campaign as we fight to keep Qantas Australian. As you know, the only way this will happen is if we can win job security clauses in our Enterprise Agreement. This way we can retain our job functions, ensure Australian engineers are properly trained and equipped to maintain safety on the airline, and keep its future strong.

If Qantas management put as much effort into supporting staff as they did their advertising, the airline would be in a much better place. I’m sure you’ve all seen those patronising full page ads in our newspapers, a wanton waste of shareholders’ (who again didn’t receive a dividend this year) money and a poor attempt to fool the public that “Qantas” will actually still exist by the time Alan Joyce and Leigh Clifford are done with it. Their attempts to convince the public that an “Asian Future” is the only possible way to keep Qantas profitable is deceiving; and that making 1,000 employees redundant will turn its fortunes around, just shows you how important it is that we achieve job security in our EBA. If we don’t, there will be no stopping them.

Then there is the propaganda that is being spread by the company, using shareholders’ money to try to discredit its own employees and their representatives. Qantas spin-doctors have set up an entire website dedicated to slamming the pilots, engineers and other transport workers who have made Qantas what it is today. It is the hard work of these employees that has created and sustained Qantas' reputation for safety, all Qantas management want to do is insult and belittle these workers and eventually make them all redundant, paving the way for a foreign workforce to take over. How does that in any way keep Qantas Australian and strong?

The good news is that other airlines get it. Virgin Australia’s John Borghetti is building his business and capability whilst his Engineering boss Richard Tanner realises the experience of Qantas engineers is a highly valuable commodity and has said he is prepared to offer employment to Qantas engineers left stranded. And with the mining industry booming, there are plenty of companies on the prowl for skilled engineers to take up positions with them. Qantas may think licenced engineers are expendable, but plenty of other companies know better.

Keep Safe,

Paul Cousins,
Federal President

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