Rex pilots vote overwhelmingly for protected industrial action

Rex pilots vote overwhelmingly for protected industrial action

Regional Express (Rex) pilots have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking protected industrial action (PIA) in a week-long ballot that closed at noon today.

More than 90 per cent of the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) Rex Saab pilot members voted to approve the taking of a range of eight legally protected industrial actions that include a number of work bans and, potentially, work stoppages of up to four hours each.

The PIA ballot opened on 15 June and closed on 22 June 2022 during which time a total of 230 of the 247 AFAP members (or 93%) who were eligible to participate submitted a vote online.

The compiled results show resounding support for all eight forms of industrial action put to vote:

  1. Tankering ban - 95%+ voted in favour
  2. Ban on conducting route/port briefings outside of duty time - 97%+ voted in favour
  3. Not wearing some or all of the uniform - 95%+ voted in favour
  4. Wearing non-uniform items - 94%+ voted in favour
  5. Ban on sign on after less than 10 hours free of duty when away from home base - 95%+ voted in favour
  6. Ban on sign on after less than 12 hours free of duty when at home base - 95%+ voted in favour
  7. Ban on operating aircraft with a deferred defect - 94%+ voted in favour
  8. 4-hour work stoppages - 93%+ voted in favour

The AFAP has this afternoon notified the company that AFAP members at Rex will start protected industrial action with three initial work actions (1, 3 and 4) effective from Wednesday 29 June.

In addition to action concerning the wearing of uniforms, pilots will adopt a ban on loading extra fuel prior to flights, where the primary purpose for loading the extra fuel is to negate the need to refuel at the destination airport.

The AFAP remains committed to reaching an agreement and is disappointed that we have had to take this action.

Unfortunately, Rex pilots have been attempting to negotiate a new Enterprise Agreement since early-2018 (ahead of the 30 June 2018 expiry of the Regional Express Pilots’ Enterprise Agreement 2014).

AFAP members employed by Rex as Saab turboprop pilots are disappointed that negotiations over a new enterprise agreement have not progressed satisfactorily with the company over four years.

About AFAP

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) represents more than 250 of the approximately 280 commercial pilots employed by Regional Express Holdings to fly the fleet of Saab turboprop aircraft in Australia. That represents 90% membership density among this pilot group at Rex.

With more than 5700 members, the AFAP is the largest professional association and industrial organisation for commercial pilots in Australia flying domestically and internationally

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