ID :
212771
Fri, 10/14/2011 - 14:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/212771
The shortlink copeid
PM threatens intervention in Qantas stoush
SYDNEY (AAP) - Oct 14 - Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned Qantas and unions to stop quarrelling and settle their pay disputes before the government considers action to prevent further strikes.
Qantas suffered a third day of strikes this week with aircraft engineers following through on a four-hour work stoppage at Sydney airport between 4pm and 8pm (AEDT) on Friday.
More than 7600 passengers were affected after the airline was forced to cancel 17 flights and delay another 32, Qantas said.
But in a surprise move the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) announced on Friday that it would cancel any further strike action until after Qantas's annual general meeting on October 28.
ALAEA national secretary Steve Purvinas said the decision was designed to take the heat out of the union's protracted wage dispute with the airline.
"We're going to call off all of our stoppages from tomorrow until at least the 28th of October," Mr Purvinas told union members at the stop-working meeting on Friday.
"We want to take the heat out of what's taken place. I think it's a wise move, and I think it's the last thing that Qantas would have expected us to have done."
Qantas announced on Thursday it would ground five aircraft from next week, resulting in 97 fewer domestic flights, due to the ALAEA's strike action.
Ms Gillard said the Fair Work Act allowed the government to compel the engineers, Qantas and ground crew, who are also in a pay dispute and conducted strike action on Thursday, to settle their differences.
Pilots have taken non-disruptive industrial action over their own pay negotiations with Qantas.
If a dispute escalated to the point where it had implications for the national economy or health and safety, the government could step in.
"Qantas and the relevant unions say they want to negotiate this dispute .. I think they should get on and do it," Ms Gillard told ABC radio on Friday.
"For a very long period of time in our industrial relations system there has been the ability of government to get involved in major disputes which have implications for the national economy or implications for health and safety."
Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said the coalition would support government intervention.
"The unions are holding Qantas to ransom, but more significantly they're holding Australian travellers to ransom," Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney.
Qantas group executive Olivia Wirth said the beleaguered airline was doing it tough.
"Unfortunately, it's getting worse, not better," Ms Wirth said on Friday.
"The reality is the ongoing industrial action by the engineers means we just simply don't have enough man-hours to maintain our fleet."
Qantas estimates the rolling strikes have affected a total of 60,000 passengers and jeopardised future business.
Meanwhile, Qantas's budget airline Jetstar warned that prolonged industrial action by check-in staff over a pay dispute could affect its ability to offer low fares.
The check-in staff refused to charge excess baggage fees for travellers for 24 hours from 3.30am (AEDT) on Friday at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Cairns and Avalon airports.
The industrial action is estimated to cost Jetstar up to $50,000.
Qantas's Olivia Wirth said the airline welcomed the temporary postponement of some strike action.
However, she said nothing the union had said changed "the damage that they have done to Qantas".
"The biggest impact on Qantas and our passengers comes from the overtime bans and 'go slow' on work which have caused a backlog of maintenance," Ms Wirth said in a statement.
"This is why we have been forced to ground five domestic aircraft and cancel 400 flights on Monday for at least a month.
"The fact is, the union is still demanding that Qantas hands over control of parts of the business to union leaders.
"Until the union drops these unreasonable demands we are not going to get any closer to an agreement."
Qantas suffered a third day of strikes this week with aircraft engineers following through on a four-hour work stoppage at Sydney airport between 4pm and 8pm (AEDT) on Friday.
More than 7600 passengers were affected after the airline was forced to cancel 17 flights and delay another 32, Qantas said.
But in a surprise move the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) announced on Friday that it would cancel any further strike action until after Qantas's annual general meeting on October 28.
ALAEA national secretary Steve Purvinas said the decision was designed to take the heat out of the union's protracted wage dispute with the airline.
"We're going to call off all of our stoppages from tomorrow until at least the 28th of October," Mr Purvinas told union members at the stop-working meeting on Friday.
"We want to take the heat out of what's taken place. I think it's a wise move, and I think it's the last thing that Qantas would have expected us to have done."
Qantas announced on Thursday it would ground five aircraft from next week, resulting in 97 fewer domestic flights, due to the ALAEA's strike action.
Ms Gillard said the Fair Work Act allowed the government to compel the engineers, Qantas and ground crew, who are also in a pay dispute and conducted strike action on Thursday, to settle their differences.
Pilots have taken non-disruptive industrial action over their own pay negotiations with Qantas.
If a dispute escalated to the point where it had implications for the national economy or health and safety, the government could step in.
"Qantas and the relevant unions say they want to negotiate this dispute .. I think they should get on and do it," Ms Gillard told ABC radio on Friday.
"For a very long period of time in our industrial relations system there has been the ability of government to get involved in major disputes which have implications for the national economy or implications for health and safety."
Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said the coalition would support government intervention.
"The unions are holding Qantas to ransom, but more significantly they're holding Australian travellers to ransom," Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney.
Qantas group executive Olivia Wirth said the beleaguered airline was doing it tough.
"Unfortunately, it's getting worse, not better," Ms Wirth said on Friday.
"The reality is the ongoing industrial action by the engineers means we just simply don't have enough man-hours to maintain our fleet."
Qantas estimates the rolling strikes have affected a total of 60,000 passengers and jeopardised future business.
Meanwhile, Qantas's budget airline Jetstar warned that prolonged industrial action by check-in staff over a pay dispute could affect its ability to offer low fares.
The check-in staff refused to charge excess baggage fees for travellers for 24 hours from 3.30am (AEDT) on Friday at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Cairns and Avalon airports.
The industrial action is estimated to cost Jetstar up to $50,000.
Qantas's Olivia Wirth said the airline welcomed the temporary postponement of some strike action.
However, she said nothing the union had said changed "the damage that they have done to Qantas".
"The biggest impact on Qantas and our passengers comes from the overtime bans and 'go slow' on work which have caused a backlog of maintenance," Ms Wirth said in a statement.
"This is why we have been forced to ground five domestic aircraft and cancel 400 flights on Monday for at least a month.
"The fact is, the union is still demanding that Qantas hands over control of parts of the business to union leaders.
"Until the union drops these unreasonable demands we are not going to get any closer to an agreement."
