Qantas crews to go offshore

Qantas appears to be spoiling for a fight after its 
announcement last week that it would shift 400 of its 
international flight crew positions offshore to London. The 
Flight Attendants' Association (FAAA) declared it would reject 
the move, which it said was intended to drive down wages and 
conditions of local employees.

The announcement was made "with no apologies at all" from CEO 
Geoff Dixon, who failed to rule out further off-shore hiring.

The FAAA described the move as a direct threat to the job 
security and working conditions of Australian staff, and 
announced they would fight the establishment of any new overseas 
bases with "all means available".

"Existing wages and conditions will come under threat as cheaper 
overseas labour provides an economic incentive for Qantas to 
drive down local wages and conditions and continue to shift more 
and more Australian jobs overseas.

"Of course with the constant threat of moving more jobs overseas 
the bargaining power of cabin crew is weakened."

Qantas said that they would offer the London jobs to Australian-
based crew in the first instance, but if they could not fill the 
positions with Australian crew the jobs would be filled locally.

Qantas are yet to announce what salaries and conditions will be 
offered but the FAAA has warned staff considering the move that 
"although the offer may look initially attractive, it will need 
close scrutiny".

"We think Qantas are trying to soften the flight attendants by 
having reasonable terms and conditions in London. Over time we 
think those terms and conditions will erode", said Victoria 
Skinner, the FAAA's National Industrial Officer.

Qantas' desire to undercut Australian workers by setting up 
foreign bases is not new — it already employs staff at bases in 
Auckland and Bangkok. The EBA covering its Australian workers 
expires in December this year, and the FAAA has flagged the 
hiring of foreign crew as a major issue in the next round of 
negotiations.

Over the term of the last EBA Qantas also set up its budget 
international offshoot "Australian Airlines"— seen as another 
attempt to undercut the conditions offered to its international 
flight crew.

Since the budget airline's launch in October 2002 the FAAA has 
been in constant — and very successful — battle with Qantas to 
ensure Australian Airlines' crew conditions are brought up to par 
with those of Qantas staff.

Remaining resolute in the face of industrial action, Mr Dixon 
stated: "They won't bring us to a standstill, that's a 
hypothetical".

He maintained that Qantas' relations with its international crew 
were still "very, very good".