Qantas says that it has contingency plans in place to ensure that planned industrial action by its professional engineers does not have any impact on its operations.
The Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia (APESMA) plans to commence work bans from 5pm ADST on November 13, which will see the airline’s approximately 190 professional engineers not answer out-of-hours calls.
Qantas group executive government and corporate affairs David Epstein said that is was disappointed that the action was being taken while wage negotiations continue. “The contribution our Professional Engineers make to our operations is highly valued, but APESMA’s current claim remains at nearly 30 per cent over three years and is still unreasonable and unsustainable,” he said.
“We have continued to negotiate in good faith, including during the week, and are absolutely committed to finding common ground.”
Epstein told ABC News Breakfast on November 13 that as a contingency, a number of senior managers will take over on-call duties during the industrial action, and that it did not expect flights to be delayed or cancelled. He added that safety would also not be compromised by the contingency arrangements.
