Sisters and Brothers:
The Transport Workers Union of Australia has secured an important victory against Qantas that has implications for aviation workers everywhere.
The Australia Federal Court has found that Qantas illegally fired and outsourced 2,000 workers in the middle of the global COVID crisis. The union feels they were deliberately targeted because they were about to begin negotiations for better pay and conditions.
A survey of these workers showed three quarters have not been able to secure full-time work since Qantas fired them. They want their jobs back. Qantas is delaying rehiring these workers by appealing the court’s decision, causing more unnecessary stress for the workers and their families.
The TWU-Australia is seeking help from aviation workers worldwide. They are asking workers to sign a petition to the Qantas Board asking them to:
1. Tell Qantas management to drop the plan to appeal; and
2. Tell Qantas management to immediately offer outsourced workers their jobs back.
“The TWU-Australia has always supported the Machinists Union and our efforts to represent workers in North America,” said Mike Klemm and Dave Supplee, Presidents of IAM Districts 141 and 142, respectively. “We are signing the petition and urge IAM members everywhere to do the same. We cannot stand by and watch any airline fire their own union-represented employees with the full protections of a collective bargaining agreement and replace them with lower paid workers. Using the global pandemic as an excuse for such reprehensible action must not be allowed.”
You can add your name to the petition by completing the form available here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/qantas-board-reinstate-outsourced-workers.
The IAM and the TWU-Australia are both civil aviation affiliates of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). More information about ITF Civil Aviation is available here: https://www.itfglobal.org/en/sector/civil-aviation and information about the TWU-Australia is available here: https://www.twu.com.au.
Sincerely and fraternally,
David Supplee
PRESIDENT-DIRECTING
GENERAL CHAIR
POST ON ALL IAM BULLETIN BOARDS
