Employees at Qatar Airways have told the Australian Services Union (ASU) that they want to bargain for an Enterprise Agreement. The ASU asked Qatar Airways to commence bargaining but Qatar Airways have declined this invitation. When an employer refuses to bargain the Fair Work Act allows employees to demand their employer bargains for an Enterprise Agreement where a majority of employees request bargaining. This is why the ASU is seeking your support to bring Qatar Airways management to the bargaining table.
An Enterprise Agreement is important because it allows you to have input into your own terms and conditions of employment, such as wages and hours of work. At the moment your terms and conditions are determined by the Airline Operations Ground Staff Award which is the minimum that Qatar Airways (and other airlines) have to pay. An Enterprise Agreement lets you improve on the minimum. Other airlines have their own Enterprise Agreement, these airlines include Qantas, Emirates, Singapore, Garuda and Malaysian. Other advantages to having your own Enterprise Agreement include:
- Certainty and Predictability – Wages and pay rises for up to the next four years from the date of approval of the Enterprise Agreement that are recorded in the Enterprise Agreement and are the minimum amounts that you must be paid.
- Locked in entitlements like annual leave, parental leave, Christmas shutdown leave and professional development leave. Management cannot remove or change Agreement entitlements through changes to organisational policy.
- A job security clause, minimising the use of fixed term and or casual employment and giving longer term casuals and fixed term employees the right to a permanent position.
If you’re not a member of the ASU, you can join online now at our secure form www.asu.asn.au/asujoin
Download and sign the Qatar Airways majority support petition here.