QPC Briefing No. 23
LH bargaining resumes following the No Vote
Following the 66% NO vote, Qantas have returned to the bargaining table with the AFAP. Yesterday, the AFAP Long Haul EA team met with Qantas on your behalf to present the results of the two post-vote AFAP surveys and to recommence negotiations.
Representing Qantas at the meeting were Simon Anderson, Qantas CFO; Catherine Walsh, Chief People Officer; Nathan Safe, Executive Manager of Qantas Industrial Relations; Dick Tobiano, Chief Pilot; Andrew Coull, Head of Flight Operations Strategy; Jim Morton, Qantas Head of Industrial Relations; Cpt Dave Backhouse, Company negotiator; and Tom O’Donnell, Qantas IR Manager.
The significant presence of senior Qantas leaders at the meeting demonstrates that Qantas recognises the AFAP, now more than 500 Qantas mainline members strong, as an influential voice for Qantas pilots.
Survey Data
The AFAP received almost 700 survey responses from both members and non-members. In addition to the quantitative data, pilots submitted nearly 1,000 free-text comments, totalling approximately 45,000 words or 90 pages.
Your feedback across both surveys was consistent with the concerns the AFAP had raised throughout negotiations. The most significant issues were Blank lines driving unpredictable rostering, and pay failing to keep pace with inflation, particularly when previous rounds of concessional bargaining and the ongoing erosion of conditions are taken into account.
Many pilots described the ongoing disruption to family life and increasing cost-of-living pressures as unsustainable.
In addition, you told us that Second Officer B/C scale pay, pay scale reform, night credits, commuter hardship, overall contactability, and agreement complexity remain significant concerns across the group.
The free-text responses revealed a strong desire for certainty, simplicity and transparency. They also highlighted widespread frustration with increasing agreement complexity, the continued trading away of conditions, and significant distrust toward Qantas management. This distrust was amplified by the presentation of headline pay increases in the first proposal that included variable allowances, such as night credits on the B787.
At the meeting, we presented Qantas with a high-level summary of the survey data. In addition, Qantas management received hard copies of the almost 90 pages of direct, deidentified pilot comments explaining exactly why pilots voted no. These comments described the impact of rostering uncertainty, family disruption and frustration with increasing agreement complexity in pilots own words.
Meeting with Qantas
In yesterday’s meeting Qantas stated its willingness to work with the AFAP, revisit key elements of the rejected proposal and explore alternative approaches in several major areas.
Importantly, Qantas confirmed that every aspect of the rejected proposal remains open for reconsideration. This reflects the strength of the No vote.
However, Qantas maintained its position that the overall cost envelope would not increase, particularly given the current operating environment and uncertainty around fuel costs.
The approach is unsurprising and consistent with any EA negotiation in which an employer will seek to contain costs within a budget. However, it is important to highlight Qantas stated that despite forecast fuel costs for the second half of the financial year surging, it would not reduce the envelope.
The AFAP as part of negotiations will review and consider the Company costings, and independently assess the assumptions underpinning the calculations.
While the AFAP do not negotiate by spreadsheet, it is important to understand the process for approval internally with Qantas to explore ways we can get the business to agree to benefits for pilots. The AFAP will use whatever measures we can to get agreement if it is in our members interests.
In the end our assessment and endorsement of any package will not be based on Qantas arbitrary envelope – it will be driven by members objectives and what is overall a fair and reasonable new EA.
Commitments on Pay
While specific claims were not discussed, Qantas confirmed that the implementation payment was not within its cost envelope as it was offered on the basis of having productivity offsets from a new EA available this year.
The Company did confirm that given negotiations even with regular meetings and work from all parties to reach a new EA as efficiently as possible, will progress beyond July this year and that as such any pay increases will be backdated to July, 2026.
Blank Lines
The AFAP communicated bluntly to Qantas that the clearest message from pilots was that the current blank line system requires meaningful reform.
Qantas management stated repeatedly that it is not “wedded” to retaining the current blank line system, and is prepared to consider alternatives that do not jeopardise its ability to crew duties.
Qantas were clear that significant change carried risk for all parties in creating new unforeseen problems or unintended consequences.
Qantas advised that workforce planning has already undertaken work examining the issue and has committed to sharing that information with the AFAP as part of an initial work shop dedicated to blank lines. The AFAP is supporting this approach, as meaningful reform and improvement to blank lines is the priority in a pathway to a yes vote.
Qantas also sought the AFAP’s view on working alongside AIPA negotiators to explore blank line solutions and other areas of the EA. The aim would be to identify, as efficiently as possible, a pathway toward an EA endorsed and supported by both unions.
The AFAP reaffirmed that we are open to joint discussions with AIPA where doing so helps achieve a better outcome for the pilot group. We reiterated our focus is on outcomes for the benefit of LH pilots, and if Qantas and/or AIPA have proposals that address our members concerns on blank lines we will support those changes.
We understand that Qantas have asked the same question of AIPA during their meeting today. If AIPA elect not to meet jointly with the AFAP, Qantas advised it will meet separately with our LH team as quickly as possible to begin working through available blank line options.
Next Steps
The AFAP remains committed to reaching an agreement capable of our endorsement. It was evident from the meeting that Qantas understands the AFAP’s position on the previous proposal was influential in the outcome, and Qantas reinforced its desire to work constructively with the AFAP toward a negotiated outcome that can be supported by pilots.
We believe the survey data provides a pathway toward a negotiated outcome that can achieve broad support across the Long Haul pilot group. That should remain the objective of all parties.
The no vote has shifted the company’s focus in these negotiations. Qantas now understands the depth of concern across the group, and the next phase will require a collaborative approach by the parties to address pilots’ key concerns and achieve a package that pilots can genuinely support.
If you are not yet a member, now is the time to stand alongside the more than 500 Qantas pilots at the AFAP. You can
sign up online today.
Questions and Feedback
If you have any questions or feedback please contact your AFAP Qantas Pilot Council representatives at
qpc@afap.org.au, or the AFAP legal and industrial team of Senior Legal/ Industrial Officer Pat Larkins (
patrick@afap.org.au), Senior Industrial Officer Deanna Cain (
deanna@afap.org.au) or Executive Director Simon Lutton (
simon@afap.org.au).
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