The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) has written to the Labor, Liberal and Greens parties seeking an election commitment that they will stop Jetstar from using its overseas operations to sidestep Australian pay and conditions for pilots.
AIPA says that it is taking action after Jetstar issued a Flight Standing Order which it says flags the company’s intention to start a new subsidiary which would allow work that has been done by local pilots on Australian pay and conditions to go to Jetstar Asia pilots based in Singapore, thereby sidestepping the Jetstar Pilots Agreement.
“We believe Australian employment law is applicable to these new pilots recruited by this Australian company to fly into Australia from Singapore,” said AIPA president Barry Jackson. “Anything less is a transparent attempt at subverting Australian pay and conditions and should be seen as such by this country’s political leadership.”
“Protecting Australian pay and conditions should attract national political support that’s why we are calling on the major parties contesting this election to take this issue on and send a clear message to Jetstar that the Fair Work Act will not be deliberately undercut,” he added.
