WORKERS PROTEST AT CAIRNS AIRPORT FOR BETTER, SAFER JOBS
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The TWU has welcomed the ACCC’s interim approval of Qatar’s wet lease arrangements with Virgin as a positive for the future of the airline, as well as the airline’s commitment to an ongoing process to ensure appropriate measures to protect workers and the broader community are in place.
The announcement for Qatar Airways to take a 25% stake in Virgin, still subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board, provides an opportunity for the airline to expand in a difficult Australian aviation market, but as workers had substantial ongoing concerns around working conditions and consultation throughout this process the consultation with workgroups and management was vital.
Last week the TWU wrote a letter to Virgin outlining these concerns and calling on the airline to urgently meet with TWU delegates to address them. After acknowledging the concerns and convening an urgent initial discussion, Virgin has agreed to an ongoing consultation process, providing the opportunity to set in place the best practice model for the proposed wet lease, secondments for Virgin pilots and cabin crew and ongoing opportunities for ground crew.
Workers continue to call on Bain Capital to recommit to workers around the five-point claim they launched last year on respect for workers, good, secure jobs, ongoing investment in the airline, an employee share scheme and support for industry reform.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said it was crucial Virgin make clear commitments around matters of concern to workers.
“TWU members at Virgin were instrumental in getting the airline up and running again, and this partnership with Qatar represents real opportunities for Virgin’s stability and success into the future. This must involve decent Australian aviation jobs. TWU members are ready to work with Virgin and Bain to maximise those opportunities, initially through secondments and looking towards dry lease arrangements and further expansion, as well as the opportunity to action further insourcing in Virgin ground crew.
“At the same time we have to be realistic about the substantial concerns workers and the travelling public have given Qatar’s track record with human rights and worker abuses. There need to be appropriate guardrails in place to make sure workers are consulted and protected throughout this process.
“It’s positive that Virgin has met with TWU delegates immediately to talk through these issues in what is an uncertain time for workers. We need to see Virgin make commitments to ensure positive outcomes from these arrangements with Virgin.
“To bolster stability in aviation and ensure the industry’s long-term success we need a Safe and Secure Skies Commission in place to rebalance the scales and prioritise good, secure jobs and decent standards for the travelling public.”
Recently Virgin pilots were the last work group at Virgin to settle agreements with the airline, following ground and cabin crew in substantially correcting pay and conditions that were decimated during administration in 2020.