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Qantas faces more disruption
Qantas has reacted angrily to a decision by its licenced aircraft engineers to take industrial action from Monday next week.
The airline has threatened to call in alternative workers to do the work of the engineers.
The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, which has about 1,600 members, said rolling two-hour work stoppages would commence in Melbourne next Monday. Other cities will follow.
To avoid flight disruptions, the union says it will allow some of its members to continue work if they are paid at higher rates.
These strike breakers would include engineers who are rostered off duty and able to work overtime during the stoppage periods.
“It'll increase Qantas's wages bill but it shouldn't disrupt services,” said a union leader.
The union said its main concerns relate to safety checks being retained by its members and “the growing amount of work being carried out by overseas providers and contractors”.
Qantas Group executive operations, Lyell Strambi said the union leaders had shown their true colours by calling industrial action over the school holidays and then making a blatantly cynical offer for Qantas licensed engineers who are on strike to return to work for four times their normal pay.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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