Qantas chief Alan Joyce attacks ‘kamikaze’ pilots, engineers unions
April 20, 2011
QANTAS chief Alan Joyce slammed the pilots, engineers and ground crew unions, accusing them today of waging a “kamikaze” industrial campaign.
“Right now my big concern is facing a challenge where qantas alone is under attack.”
Mr Joyce said the airline was being confronted with completely unacceptable demands from several trade unions.
“It is nothing short of a kamikaze campain,” Mr Joyce said, directing his attack at the Australian International Pilots Association, the Australian Licensed Engineers Association and also the Transport Workers Union.
“The unions representing the pilots and licensed engineers are demanding commitments that would kill the jobs of their members.”The unions are in dispute with Qantas over contract labour which they claim will bring down the employment standards of their members.
Pilots are particularly critical of Jetstar crew being employed on lower rates for doing identical work, such as flying Jetstar-Qantas codeshare services to locations such as Singapore.
Mr Joyce later also attacked the Transport Workers Union, which covers ground-crew and baggage handlers, claiming they were working with affiliate unions overseas in a bid to organise a campaign to hit Qantas internationally.
- Geoff Easdown from:Herald Sun