AFAP AIC Update – July 2025
Overtime at Base Hourly Rate
Pilots would have seen this month’s update from Flight Operations regarding the payment of approved leave, other than annual leave and long service leave, at the Base Hourly Rate which will apply now that Virgin has completed the last of the EA pay implementation changes.
This is contemplated by clause 30.2 of the EA which provides that approved leave (excluding annual leave and long service leave) is to be paid at the Base Hourly Rate rather than the Productivity Rate when the total Credit hours accrued for the Roster Period exceed the Credit Hour Trigger (CHT) under clause 30.2.
The example provided by Flight Operations lacks any specific information to help you understand this important change taking effect from Monday 7 July. We include below an excerpt from our update during the EA negotiations and attach the full examples here for your full understanding of clause 30.2.
Peak Period Credit Hour Trigger 70
- Pilot rostered 75 hours
- Pilot removes due sick leave from 1 day of 5 hours credit due sick leave
- With sick leave earned credit total in RP is 72.46
- Pilot is paid up to Credit Hour Trigger 70 (base salary) + 2.46 hours at base hourly rate
Off Peak Period Credit Hour Trigger 65
- Pilot rostered 70 hours
- Pilot removes due sick leave from 1 day of 5 hours credit due sick leave
- Pilot has sectors run longer than scheduled block time by a total of 1 hour over RP
- With sick leave earned and greater than scheduled block credit total in RP is 68.46
- Pilot is paid 65 hours (base salary) + 1 hour at productivity hourly rate + 2.46 at base hourly rate
Summary
Any credits over the CHT by the sum of the approved leave (excluding annual leave and long service leave) within the RP will be paid at the Base Hourly Rate.
Payroll Discrepancies/ Audit
We have been compiling data from the emails received from pilots on resolved payroll discrepancies. Thank you to those pilots who have provided information to the AFAP AIC.
The AFAP will present data at the next AIC meeting at the end of this month, and we welcome other pilots with examples and evidence of payroll discrepancies and underpayments to send them through to us.
In order for the AFAP to provide up to date data, and if required prepare a formal request to Virgin for a targeted payroll audit, we are seeking real-world examples from pilots who have experienced and resolved pay discrepancies over the last three years.
If you’ve had a payroll issue that was identified and corrected, please send through:
- A brief description of the discrepancy and its origin (e.g. missed allowances, incorrect duty credit, leave loading errors, superannuation miscalculation, tax treatment, etc.)
- The year/month it occurred
- How it was resolved (any backpay or adjustment you received)
- Any relevant correspondence (optional)
Please note: We are not requesting unresolved or disputed issues at this stage — only discrepancies that were identified and rectified. This will help us define clear parameters for what needs to be examined in the audit and avoid a vague or overly broad approach that risks delivering little.
Send your examples to virginAIC@afap.org.au.
All contributions will be handled confidentially and used solely to inform the audit terms.
Questions
Should you have any questions regarding the above, please feel free to contact your AFAP AIC representatives directly, or AFAP legal industrial team of Senior Legal/ Industrial Officer Patrick Larkins (patrick@afap.org.au) or AFAP Senior Legal/ Industrial Officer Deanna Cain (deanna@afap.org.au) at the AFAP dedicated AIC email address virginaic@afap.org.au, or alternatively by posting on the VPF Forum (https://afapvpf.discussioncommunity.com/) or by calling the AFAP office on (03) 9928 5737.
AFAP AIC Representatives
First Officer Steve Hungerford - Chair
Captain Brad Wilson - Vice-Chair
Captain Mark Bannister - HOTAC