Fair Work Australia has agreed to convene a full bench to hear the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA)’s argument that Qantas pay pilots employed by its New Zealand based Jetconnect subsidiary the same wages and conditions as it pays its Australian based pilots.
AIPA claims that New Zealand based pilots employed by Jetconnect to fly 737s on trans Tasman services are paid around 40 per cent less than equivalent Australian based Qantas 737 pilots, which it says undermines the spirit and intent of the Fair Work Act, The Australian newspaper reports.
“Effectively Qantas is off shoring trans Tasman flying via its offshoot Jetconnect,” AIPA president Barry Jackson has said previously. “It is a deliberate strategy to drive down wages and conditions.”
“This unusual test case will determine where the Australian Fair Work Act ends and hopefully set limits on the deliberate off shoring of Australian jobs.”
