Qantas Engineers Initiate Strike Over Wage Dispute Impacting Major Airports

Qantas engineers have commenced a two-hour strike at airports in major Australian cities as a part of their ongoing dispute over pay. The industrial action, beginning from 7 am, involves engineers in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. The engineers are campaigning for a significant increase in wages, citing a long-term freeze on pay rates.

The Qantas Engineers' Alliance, comprising the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), Australian Workers Union (AWU), and Electrical Trades Union (ETU), has demanded a 15 percent immediate pay rise followed by additional increments over subsequent years. Despite predictions of potential travel disruptions, Qantas maintains they have contingency plans to mitigate any impact on flight schedules.

In a statement, Steve Murphy, AMWU national secretary, highlighted the importance of recognizing the workers’ contributions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s about time that Qantas showed these workers that they are valued, they are respected,” Murphy stated, emphasizing their role in upholding safety and operational readiness of aircraft.

Paul Farrow, AWU national secretary, urged Qantas to bring a substantive offer to the negotiating table to avert further strikes. Reflecting on past years, Farrow remarked, “I think it’s been nearly 20 years since our members have engaged in this type of action and what have they got for it? One-point-two percent per annum for the last 10 years while cost of living has gone up by 23 percent.”

Although the strike inadvertently coincides with significant sporting events, ETU national secretary Michael Wright assured that there was no deliberate intention to disrupt travel plans during the AFL and NFL grand finals. Wright highlighted the decade-long real wage cuts the engineers faced, placing the responsibility on Qantas to rectify the situation.

Despite the industrial actions, Qantas reported no network disruptions over the previous four days, attributing this to their contingency measures. “Our teams have done a great job helping customers safely get to their destination over the busy weekend,” a Qantas spokesperson noted. The airline remains optimistic that the planned strike action will not affect customer travel.

The work stoppage is part of a broader two-week strike that started in Melbourne and expanded nationwide, involving over 1,000 engineers. Negotiations over the workers’ enterprise agreement have been ongoing since April, with the previous agreement having expired at the end of June.