ABC and other media report the the Transport Workers Union says National Jet pilots operating Qantas Link’s regional flights are considering strike action.
The Union’s Paul Aslan says an application to the Industrial Relations Court is being drawn up today after a majority of pilots supported a strike at a meeting in Perth yesterday.
He says the strike would bring travel and freight in and out of regional Australia to a stand still.
Mr Aslan says it is a last resort for the pilots but it is in response to poor treatment, adding, “They’ve just had a gutful of the way they have been treated by the company basically”.
“They haven’t been paid by the last increment that was owing to them, many of them haven’t been paid that increment.
“Understand that a trainee pilot, when a pilot comes in, he’s only probably on about $35,000 a year which is not a lot of money, these are the lowest paid pilots in Australia.”
National Jet declined the ABC’s requests for an interview but has released a statement.
The company’s CEO says AWA negotiations are continuing and he is confident an agreement can be reached.
Report by The Mole
