AFAP - Latest RFDS (Qld) News
Bargaining - Where to From Here?
You and other AFAP members at RFDS(Qld) are likely to be asking yourself that exact question currently!
Critically, in the ballot conducted last month, the Pilot group showed very clearly that the offer from RFDS (Qld) management in the current bargaining simply was not sufficient, or acceptable.
You and your colleagues could not have been much clearer - 95% 'No' vote.
Last Wednesday (25/10), your AFAP representatives (along with independent bargaining representatives John Follent & Hayden Watson) met with RFDS (Qld) management, in the first bargaining meeting since the ballot result was announced.
In the intervening period your AFAP representatives, with the assistance of John & Hayden, had drafted a completely new enterprise agreement. That document included a large number of the provisions that were part of our Log of Claims, given to RFDS (Qld) management early in the bargaining process.
We provided a copy of the draft agreement to RFDS (Qld) management last Tuesday, along with a 'marked up' version of the document, showing the changes that we had made.
Importantly, that comparison was with the current enterprise agreement
Interestingly, in last Wednesday's meeting, management seemed surprised that we had not used their altered agreement (that you voted down), as the starting point. Seriously??!! That was never going to be our starting point, given that 95% of you rejected their offer.
Management then stated that they needed more time to consider our document, before they could respond appropriately. As such, last week's meeting only lasted 30 minutes or so.
That is OK though!
Why? Because we have a full day scheduled for negotiations this Thursday (2 November). So we will have plenty of time to hear what they have to say in response then.
We will make it very clear, yet again, that they need to do things better if they genuinely want to attract & retain pilots! In fact, if they are not careful, they may need to start sending out doctors & nurses in cars, simply because there won't be sufficient pilots at hand!
Expect a further update later this week, after that meeting.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact your AFAP representatives:
- James Bate;
- Leonard Nicholas;
- Nathan Petschel; or
- James Mattner (AFAP Senior Industrial Officer) - james@afap.org.au or 0477 001 817.