Passengers flying with regional airlines and fly-in, fly-out workers should brace for further disruptions as pilots employed by a Qantas subsidiary have decided to take additional industrial action. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots announced on Feb. 9 that its members at Network Aviation and QantasLink in Western Australia (WA) would be on strike on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 due to a deadlock in wage negotiations.
Disappointed by the decision of the pilots to strike for the second time in less than a week, Qantas Group stated that the travel plans of passengers would once again be affected. The airline spokesperson said, “We are reviewing schedules and planning contingencies to make sure our customers can get where they need to go.” Customers affected by the strike will be contacted and are eligible to make fee-free changes to their flights or request a refund.
The impasse in negotiations led to the cancellation of 35 flights on Feb. 8, causing affected customers to be re-booked onto Jetstar, Qantas, and charter flights. The pilots’ federation claimed that Network Aviation had stopped negotiations and left its members with no alternative but to strike.
A Network Aviation pilot, wishing to remain anonymous, highlighted the dissatisfaction among pilots regarding the company’s handling of negotiations, stating, “They think that we deserve less than other pilots who fly for Qantas.” Network Aviation insisted that it had previously rejected pay increases of more than 25 percent plus yearly three percent increases, new allowances, and greater roster protections.
The pilots’ union and the airline requested the assistance of the Fair Work Commission but as of Feb. 9, a resolution had not been reached.
This is not the first time pilots working for Network Aviation have resorted to industrial action. In early October, pilots walked off the job for 24 hours over pay negotiations, leading to the cancellation of 40 flights to and from regional towns and mine sites. Network Aviation, a premier charter company for WA’s mining industry, operates hundreds of flights a week and employs local pilots for its regional arm, QantasLink.