Case Study

Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU)

Submission to the Rural Affairs and Transport Committee of the Australian Senate

QANTAS: NOT JUST ANOTHER AIRLINE

• Qantas Sale Amendment (Still Call Australia Home) Bill, 2011 • Air Navigation and Civil Aviation Amendment (Aircraft Crew) Bill 2011 • & related matters

October 2011

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Dear Committee Members, The Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) commends the Australian Senate for inquiring into fundamental matters of public concern: aircraft crewing standards and the ongoing presence of Qantas as an Australian company. These matters are of significant importance to TWU members and employees in allied aviation trade unions. It is the TWU’s submission that Qantas management is engaging in an ongoing effort to reduce employment security and conditions and therefore, service and safety standards across its operations. The imperative of this agenda is, we submit, to make the airline attractive to private equity interests. This submission canvasses seven (7) areas: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Qantas restructuring Qantas Sale Act Private equity takeover? Qantas’ share and financial performance Qantas Executive remuneration Aircraft Crew Bill 2011 Safety and related matters

TWU officials and members would be pleased to attend any forthcoming public inquiry to provide statements and evidence in support of this submission.

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Section One Qantas Restructuring

Senators would be aware that Qantas released its “New Spirit of Australia” restructuring package on August 16, 2011. At a glance, this package aims to: -­‐ -­‐ -­‐ reduce the Qantas workforce by 1000+ employees abandon the airline’s historical flagship business, Qantas International move significant aviation businesses to (as yet, undetermined) Asian destinations and conduct its business adhering to relatively low safety and security standards in those destinations

It is difficult to comprehend how the relocation of new aviation businesses, to be...