Around 300 Qantas engineers across Australia will walk off the job for 24 hours from Wednesday morning, following repeated industrial actions by workers across major airports this past month, after the airline refused to meet with workers to discuss the latest enterprise agreement.
Engine components maintenance engineers in Melbourne will strike for 24 hours from 9 AM AEDT on Wednesday the 23rd of October with a large rally expected at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport’s International Terminal from 10 AM AEDT.
Brisbane Heavy Maintenance Engineers will also strike from 1:30 AM AEST for 24 hours, with a large rally planned at the Brisbane International Terminal from 9 AM AEST.
The Qantas Engineers’ Alliance — a union alliance comprising the AMWU, the AWU, and the ETU — said further action was necessary after Qantas management refused to return to the bargaining table and increase its previous offer.
The current enterprise agreement expired at the end of June, and the Alliance has put forward a wage claim of 5 per cent per year, with a 15 per cent first-year increase to compensate for 3.5 years of wage freezes and as an industry catch-up payment.
