Your ASU representatives met with Qantas management on Monday the 17th of July for a meeting of the Airports National Rostering Committee, and to discuss work health & safety and payroll issues.
Rostering Proof of Concept
As well as the national meeting on Monday, the ASU has had a number of local discussions to work through some of the outstanding POC issues. These issues include the fairness of roster preferences and earning capacity, the calculation of leave loading, the potential impact on some staff’s leave entitlements, and the capacity of current roster systems.
We understand that Qantas met with the Melbourne Roster Committee this week to brief them on the proof of concept.
Qantas have also agreed to meet with ASU delegates and Rostering Committees at each port to provide an update on the trial, and will consult with local union representatives should the trial be rolled out to other locations in future.
We have again reiterated to Qantas that the ASU has always been of the view that rosters should be as flexible as possible for as many people that can be accommodated, however there are important issues that need to be addressed first to ensure that people do not lose entitlements or be adversely impacted. The ASU has committed to participate actively in trying to introduce a system that works and we will continue to consult with Qantas to ensure the trial is as successful as possible. We will continue to update members as any new information becomes available.
Work health & safety
Your ASU delegates raised a number of work health and safety issues including the recent introduction of the ‘Prepare to Fly’ check-in process and the roll out of new wheelchairs at airports.
Staff have raised concerns about that lack of varied tasks that requires them to stand for extended periods and experiencing aggression from passengers. The ASU has zero tolerance towards violence against staff in the workplace. Any incidents should be escalated to management immediately, and the union included in the report. The ASU has been informed that staff should be rotated through duties to ensure that they are not required to stand for greater than 2 hour periods. If members are tasked to back-to-back standing duties they should contact their supervisor or resources, and again include your union reps.
We will continue to monitor these programs locally to ensure that these issues are addressed on the ground.