QF-QBT EOI update
A meeting was held yesterday involving your Union Organisers, your ASU Delegates and senior Qantas management to discuss the outcomes of the recent EOI process and the next steps to be taken.
Whilst the EOI process was open to all QF staff across the various QBT / HW operations nationally, in terms of Victoria the outcome was very clear in that out of the total Victorian QF/QBT workforce of 49 staff, there were 45 EOI preferences nominating “Redundancy” and 37 out of those 45 wanting it “ASAP”.
The figures across Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, and Canberra also highlighted an extensive number of QF staff seeking to access a “Redundancy ASAP” option also.
What this clearly indicates is that there is very little, almost no interest amongst QF staff to continue to work for QBT and under HW management for all the valid reasons we have openly discussed and shared with Qantas management for several years now. During yesterday’s meeting, we again reminded Qantas Management of the way QF staff have been treated by HW Management and that quite frankly, nothing has improved – hence the reasons why QF staff want to get out ASAP!
Qantas management did not attempt to challenge any of the points we raised and they committed to passing on this feedback to those higher up that are currently considering the HW request to extend the current LRA until Mid-2022.
Whilst no formal decision has yet been made, it looks more likely than not that Qantas may agree to an extension of the LRA. Notwithstanding this possibility, we have been advised that QF has a plan to try to accommodate up to 25 QF staff with their EOI preferences as part of Stage 1 of the exiting out of QBT. The process for Stage 1 and beyond in terms of who, how and when are yet to be worked through and a further meeting involving senior QF and Senior Executive level HW Management has been scheduled for late next week to begin those discussions in more detail.
Beyond Stage 1, Qantas could not and would not offer any guarantees on the future of its business partnership with HW and if or when there would be any further redundancies and how many, etc.
We understand and share the feeling of our members in being betrayed by the backflip taken by both HW and QF management in relation to the original decision and plan to exit out by March next year. We will continue to agitate and pressure those that ultimately make the decisions to make the right decision. It’s our strong view that the right decision is for Qantas to recognise and accept the scathing EOI numbers which highlights that HW is not a good employer and that QF staff have had enough and Qantas should now allow those that want to get out to do so before any more damage occurs.
We will keep members update after next week’s meeting and hope to provide some clarity on Stage 1 of the process. In the meantime, if you have any queries or questions please contact your me at vjose@asupsvic.org.