Qantas has announced that its review of its "base footprint" has identified that consolidating its Canberra, Hobart and Mildura bases could reduce inefficiencies, a move the TWU says shows the lack of real change in attitude it has shown towards workers, the travelling public, and regional Australia.
The possible outcome of this review would be closures of those smaller bases which would cause significant upheaval for cabin crew and pilots, some of whom have moved to Canberra or Hobart after the closure of other bases, only to have to relocate once again.
Without permanently-based crew and pilots in these locations, the closures would have the potential to cause more cancellations, particularly in Canberra, once again resulting in a decline in standards for passengers.
Like with the administration of Rex, regional Australia would once again be left behind were the closures to go ahead, with fewer local jobs and reduced services.
Recently Qantas announced near-record full-year profits of $2.39 billion, after it was lashed by the Federal Court for its illegal outsourcing of 1800 ground workers and made to pay a record $90 million penalty.
Over the coming days TWU pilots and cabin crew will meet with Qantas with questions surrounding whether the move would result in a reduction of services, timelines and numbers affected by any closures, and what relocation support would be available.
The TWU is calling for a Safe and Secure Skies Commission to ensure decisions in aviation are made in the interest of the entire community.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said:
"We've got pilots and crew who have uprooted their lives after the last Qantas base closures, once again facing relocation across the country with their families. Meanwhile regional Australia is facing job losses and declining passenger standards. It is critical that Qantas addresses how it plans to ensure workers and the travelling public will be protected if this proposal goes ahead.
"Qantas has tried to convince us time and again that it has changed its ways. But this proposal shows there is still serious work to be done to change a deeply-embedded culture of indifference towards workers' and passengers' lives. After making near-record profits of $2.39 billion the airline is proposing to repay the Australian people by bringing the industry backwards.
"Regional Australia is still reeling from the administration of Rex and collapse of Bonza. We cannot continue to see this cycle which creates a total lack of certainty for businesses, workers and the community in our regions. We need a Safe and Secure Skies Commission to ensure decisions in aviation benefit the entire community."
