Australia’s Qantas Assures That Rolling Engineer Strikes Will Not Disrupt Flights, According to Reuters

Australia’s Qantas Airways has announced that the rolling strikes by aircraft maintenance engineers, which began in Melbourne and are scheduled to continue for two weeks nationwide, are not anticipated to disrupt flight operations.

A spokesperson for Qantas stated, “We’re putting contingencies in place and don’t currently expect this industrial action to impact customers.”

The Qantas Engineers’ Alliance, representing several unions, expressed its demand for a 5% annual pay increase and a 15% payment in the first year to compensate for 3.5 years of wage freezes.

The alliance indicated that the industrial action could potentially affect flights across all major locations. They did not provide any immediate further comments.

Amid ongoing efforts to improve its reputation following various controversies associated with travel bookings and employee treatment during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas has approximately 1,100 employees among 2,500 engineers whose enterprise agreements have expired as of June 2024.

The airline has reported progress in discussions with unions. The spokesperson added, “We want to reach an agreement that includes pay rises and ensures we have a sustainable business.”

In August, Qantas reported an annual underlying pre-tax profit of A$2.08 billion, reflecting a 16% decrease from the previous year. On the same day as its financial announcement, the airline disclosed an in-principle agreement for pay increases for around 2,500 international cabin crew members and approved three applications from the flight attendants’ union to increase wages for up to 800 short-haul staff.