Eastern EA Update No.15 – In Principle Agreement Achieved
Further to yesterday’s update (update no. 14), we are very pleased to confirm that today we have confirmed in principle agreement for a replacement Enterprise Agreement (EA) covering pilots at Eastern Australia Airlines.
There is still some work to do in finalising the drafting however the major issues have been agreed.
We do however realise that you will be keen to at least know an outline of the proposed agreement, so we are providing a summary of the key in principle agreement changes/elements below. The full details will be provided soon and well before a vote.
Improvements/Changes:
- A 4-year agreement expiring 31 December 2026.
- 3% salary and applicable allowance increases per annum effective 1 January 2023 (backdated), 1 January 2024, 1 January 2025 and 1 January 2026.
- 5% increase to all classifications (on top of the 3%) in the main salary structure from commencement of the agreement (i.e. 7 days after approval by the Fair Work Commission).
- A main salary structure of year 1 to year 15. 1% increments beyond year 10.
- An additional 1% above the super guarantee.
- A new low time pilot separate pay scale based on flight time to be implemented:
- A (0-499 hours)
- B (500 to 999 hours); and
- C (1000 to 1499 hours).
The increments between A, B and C are 1.8%. Pilots’ move to their applicable year of service in the main structure once achieving 1500 hours or 3 years of service, whichever occurs first. There will also be some wording to recognise non-flying duties and ensure any low time pilots are not stuck on level A, B or C for an extended period of time. The maximum a pilot can remain in this table is three years. The level A salary to be set 3% above the Award with back-payment to 1 January 2023.
- A new style DHAA payment, payable for all duties and all periods from sign-on to sign-off at home base (i.e. payable for each hour away from home base not just duty hours). As previously advised, your Eastern Pilot Committee carefully considered the alternative of a higher DHA based on the current arrangement however on balance the amount that the company was prepared to offer for the existing DHA payment was not considered high enough to justify when considering the overall pilot group.
- 10 days off per 28 day roster (regardless of pilot bids) from the commencement of the agreement. The company will however have the right to buy back the 10th day at roster build. Where the company buys back the 10th day at roster build this will be at “a single days pay”. This is approximately a 5% increase (for the applicable roster period) or 8 hours pay for each time a pilot receives 9 days in a published roster. The undertaking from the company is to resource to a level where all pilots receive 10 days off at roster publish. Agreeing to work on any day off after roster publish will continue to be at the existing call-in rate. This element of the deal will obviously be subject to careful drafting which we will monitor closely.
- Including in the agreement a minimum 12 hour rest at home base between all duties (except between reserve periods).
Efficiencies/Concessions:
- A fleet freeze of 18 months from check to line or 24 months from employment/award, whichever occurs first. This applies to new hires only.
- 12 hour rest cap applying to current clause 41.1.11.
- Amendment to clause 45.1.5 d) such that the restriction to duties on the calendar day after simulator is moved from 12:00pm to 10:00am.
- Amendment to clause 41.1.13, commonly called the “3/2 rule”. In summary the 3/2 rule will remain in place for flying duties but will no longer apply to ground duty or sims. The practical effect is on back of the clock sims (i.e. 2 back of the clocks in a row) for type ratings and upgrade training so crew can pax home after 12 hours rest rather than 24 hours.
Overall, we believe this is a very good agreement which, subject to final drafting, will deliver real and permanent improvements for Eastern pilots.
As stated above, our intention is to move as quickly as possible to finalise the drafting and then undertake further engagement with the membership group around the proposed changes.
Thank you for your support.
Ben Moss: Benjamin.Moss@outlook.com
Tim Anderson: tim_anderson7@hotmail.com
James Kosenko: jkosenko@icloud.com
Will Hamilton: hamwill93@gmail.com
In addition, you can contact AFAP Senior Industrial Officer Chris Aikens on chris@afap.org.au.