Qantas is heading for a showdown with its pilots, whose union has accused the airline of trashing the brand.
“We are witnessing the demise of an icon through mismanagement,” said Australian and International Pilots Association president, Barry Jackson.
The pilots’ union says it is seeking guarantees of job security in return for limiting its latest wage claim to 2.5 percent a year.
Qantas said claims being made by the union about Qantas pilots’ job security being under threat were “completely unfoundedâ€.
Qantas said it had not made a pilot redundant in almost 40 years and there is no threat to the job security of the airline’s pilots.
Qantas, which says the union’s claim is well above 2.5 percent, said it would be very disappointed if the threat of industrial action by pilots went ahead.
Last week, the airline’s chief executive Alan Joyce warned, “If we continue on our current path, there will be a real question mark over the viability of Qantas International.”
Union meetings with pilots in Sydney and Melbourne over the next few days will gauge support for future industrial action, Jackson said.
By Ian Jarrett
