QPC Briefing No 13 2026
LH EA – Update Before Vote Opens
Tomorrow, voting on the Long Haul Enterprise Agreement 11 (EA11) opens.
The AFAP Qantas Pilot Council (QPC) Committee has recommended a No vote.
Each pilot now has to decide whether to accept or reject the proposed agreement based on whether, in their assessment, it represents fair value. On balance, our assessment is that it does not.
This decision was made collectively after consideration of the completed document and current circumstances. EA11 is a four year agreement that, like EA10, may be in effect even longer. Conditions given away are often hard to get back. Concessions are most often permanent and will likely affect pilots for the remainder of their careers. In this context, Pilots should assess the outcome, rather than short-term volatility.
Volatility is not new to this industry. Many of us are still carrying the scars from COVID, but we also saw how quickly conditions can recover. That reinforces the need to focus on a sustainable, supportable outcome over the longer term.
However, the outcome will be determined by participation, not sentiment.
The Vote
Voting opens tomorrow at 9:00am AEST and closes at 2:00pm on Thursday 16 April. We will send out reminders for these events.
The vote is your opportunity to have your say on the agreement that will govern your terms and conditions for at least the next 4 years. It is vital that every pilot has their say. The successful outcome, whether yes or no, requires only 50%+1 of the Pilots who vote.
If you do not vote, you do not count.
After the Vote
In the event of a yes vote, we will respect the outcome and support its approval, as we see no compliance issues under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
In the event of a No vote, several steps may occur. Each step depends on Pilot participation.
First, the QPC will ask Pilots to identify the key reasons for rejection via a short survey before reengaging with the Company for further negotiations. Should Pilots return a convincing No vote, the AFAP will renegotiate with a strong mandate on the key points Pilots have identified.
Should bargaining stall, the AFAP may apply to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for assistance through a Section 240 application. This process aims to leverage the FWC's influence to facilitate a negotiated outcome.
If bargaining remains at a deadlock, Pilots can consider taking Protected Industrial Action (PIA) to influence the Company to reach a negotiated outcome. The first step in this process is for the AFAP to obtain a Protected Action Ballot Order (PABO). Should the FWC approve the PABO and an independent company will conduct a ballot that includes types of PIA specified by the AFAP and members vote to approve each of these actions individually.
The Ballot is another visible demonstration of Pilot strength and unity to the company and it would be crucial that a high participation rate occurs. If Pilots do not act together, the Company will not move.
Should the Ballot be successful, and the Company still not move at the bargaining table, Pilots, through the AFAP, can take PIA. Further information on PIA as well as Intractable Bargaining may be found in the ‘Next Steps’ of the Updated Explanatory Document. PIA has strength in numbers; this can be achieved in two ways; both Unions supporting PIA or Pilots joining the AFAP.
However, the QPC Committee’s aim is to reach a negotiated Agreement acceptable to both members and the Company. Despite the uncertainty created by global conflict, it should not be forgotten that Qantas recently posted strong half-year results, and although fuel prices have increased, travel demand has remained solid.
The Company has chosen not to adequately address key concerns in this agreement. Movement on these issues will depend on what Pilots demonstrate they are prepared to accept or reject.
If Qantas truly wants to engage its staff, there are several areas of the agreement where straightforward decisions could meaningfully address pilot concerns. Issues such as roster stability, contactability, and fatigue protections can be improved through practical changes that do not require headline wage increases or materially increase operating costs.
However, the Company will only be compelled to make these choices if Pilots are consistently strong and continue to act together to demonstrate their collective will.
This vote is the first test of pilot resolve in this bargaining phase. Turnout and the margin will determine what the Company believes Pilots are prepared to do next, providing your negotiators with the strongest position to restart negotiations.
The Committee’s Recommendation
The QPC Committee's decision to recommend a No vote was made after careful consideration of the document presented to the AFAP as the completed document. We outlined a range of concerns that prompted our recommendation here. We also presented our concerns to the company, who informed us that they would not be making adjustments to the document at this late stage.
Over the following days, AIPA and the Company met and redrafted the RIN provisions. As we have discussed, the above improvements are welcomed; however, gaps remain. Notably, these provisions for Captains and First Officers are limited to A380 pilots who transfer as part of a RIN.
As highlighted in our previous comms this would not address the following practical examples:
- A year 4 787 pilot displaced in an A380 RIN to the A330 would move to year 1 on the A330
- A year 4 A330 captain demoted to an FO on the A380 in a RIN would move to year 1 FO A380.
While the above represents an improvement over the ‘completed’ document its does not provide consistent pay protection across fleets and remains inadequate. On that basis, our concerns with the inadequacy of the RIN clauses in the proposed EA11 remain.
Our other concerns listed in Briefing No 9 have not been addressed. In addition, we have discussed the impact of blank lines and what little the proposed EA11 does to address what is a major concern for Pilots.
Finally, we have re-released our explanatory document, updated based on the final EA11 presented to Pilots. This includes a detailed explanation of the next steps in the event of a No vote.
Pilots have consistently raised concerns about eroding conditions, income falling behind inflation, fatigue, and roster instability. This led your QPC Committee to recommend that Pilots vote no.
This vote is not just about the current offer. This vote will determine whether current gaps become embedded for the next decade of long haul flying. A weak turnout or narrow result can be read as acceptance. The AFAP will take a strong No vote as a mandate to improve the agreement. The outcome now depends on how Pilots vote and the strength of the result.
Lastly, it is important to recognise that there is always risk associated with a No vote, and each Pilot must carefully assess that risk in the context of their own circumstances. The AFAP cannot guarantee any particular outcome; we can only provide an informed assessment based on the available information, the current industrial environment, and our experience of similar processes. Ultimately, the responsibility for this decision rests with each Pilot. This requires taking the time to engage with the material, understand both the opportunities and the risks, and make a considered, informed choice about what outcome you are prepared to accept.
Regards,
AFAP Qantas Pilot Council
Michael Egan – Chair
Mark Gilmour – Vice-Chair
Rob Close – Secretary
Michael Armessen – Committee Member
David LaPorte – Committee Member
Josh Chalmers – Committee Member
Rob Gilmour – Committee Member