AFAP Qantas Pilot Council Update
Official Establishment of the AFAP Qantas Pilot Council
On 12 October 2023 the AEC formally declared the following AFAP Qantas pilot representatives elected to the AFAP Qantas Pilot Council (QPC):
- Michael Armessen
- Michael Egan
- Mark Gilmour
- Daniel Kobeleff
The QPC met on 19 October 2023 to hold an inaugural meeting in which the focus was on a number of issues, including the role of Councils under the AFAP Rules and the election of Office Holders.
The AFAP welcomes members with questions on the AFAP rules and structure contacting the AFAP legal/ industrial team on the details below.
Short Haul EA
Following our initial SH EA meeting (as outlined in our previous member update) the AFAP has not had any further meetings nor confirmation of meeting dates from Qantas. We will continue to press for meetings and recognising the importance of transparency in bargaining the AFAP will update members following any meetings.
Privacy of AFAP Membership
We have received queries from members regarding whether they are required to disclose to Qantas or another organisation that they are an AFAP member.
Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (see sections 342, 346, 350 and 772) all employees have a right to “freedom of association” which is to choose whether or not to join a union. An employer or other organisation (such as a union) cannot take adverse action against you for being (or not being) a union member.
In addition to the protections in the Fair Work Act, union membership status falls within the definition of ‘sensitive information’ under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), which has a higher level of privacy protection than ‘personal information’.
Under Australian law, your AFAP membership is a private matter for you, and you are not required to disclose it to Qantas or any other organisation.
Qantas Group Bargaining
Network
Following 99% of AFAP members (which are 90% of the pilot group) voting to take Protected Industrial Action (PIA) in September, Qantas pressed ahead with putting an agreement out vote that was unacceptable to the AFAP and Network pilots.
As a result, the AFAP was left with no choice but to take a stoppage of all work on 4 October. This action was supported resolutely by Network pilots in a show of the unity and strength of the pilot group.
It was disappointing that the AFAP and our Network members had to take this action, but they were left with no choice after Qantas declined the AFAP offer to suspend the PIA if they would schedule a meeting.
Subsequently, on 13 October the EA (that was supported by the other unions in Network) was voted down by 90% of the pilot group.
Following the no vote, the AFAP Network EA team has reiterated its claims (which have been on the table since July) and willingness to negotiate an agreement that will be voted up by the pilot group.
The AFAP had recently notified of further bans and stoppages of work to take place this week, however our Network pilot representatives have agreed in good faith to withdraw our action at the request of the Fair Work Commission (FWC).
The FWC is conciliating the negotiations under the s.240 of the Fair Work Act which does not empower the FWC to impose an agreement on the parties. However, the FWC can make recommendations, and this can assist in getting employers to move from unreasonable positions.
The AFAP will attend FWC facilitated bargaining meetings on Tuesday next week. If necessary, the FWC will facilitate further sessions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week.
The AFAP have agreed to suspend PIA until the completion of the above bargaining sessions. The AFAP Network reps are hopeful pressure from the FWC will get Qantas to engage in bargaining to reach an agreement that is acceptable to Network pilots.
Whether PIA is taken in a particular negotiation is based on the circumstances and is member driven. PIA is a lawful and legitimate tool under the Fair Work Act to apply pressure to get a better deal and it is only used by the AFAP as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted.
In this case 90% of the pilot group have voted to support PIA and Qantas are refusing to negotiate improvements to the package, despite 90% of pilots rejecting the proposed EA.
The AFAP Qantas Pilot Council supports Network pilots pursuing the best agreement possible, by utilising all legal avenues available including through exercising their lawful right to take PIA.
Qantas Link Negotiations
Following 99% of AFAP members (who cover more than 90% of the pilot group) at Sunstate and Eastern voting for PIA, an in principle agreement has now been reached in both operations.
A summary of the agreed package is contained in the most recent AFAP Eastern and Sunstate Updates.
Jetstar EA
The AFAP negotiated Jetstar Enterprise Agreement has now been fully implemented with the introduction of Layover Highline payment from July this year. This payment applies from sign-off to sign-on for each night of a trip away from Home Base.
The details of the Jetstar EA package are summarised here.
AFAP Points of Contact
Below we outlined points of contact within the AFAP. Each of the contacts below can also be reached by calling the AFAP at (03) 9928 5737.
Legal, industrial (including rostering and scheduling issues)
Pat Larkins (patrick@afap.org.au) – Senior Legal/ Industrial Officer
Chris Aikens (chris@afap.org.au) – Senior Industrial Officer
Simon Lutton (simon@afap.org.au) – Executive Director
Safety and Technical
For questions regarding safety and technical matters please contact:
Cpt Marcus Diamond (marcus@afap.org.au) – AFAP Safety and Technical Manager
Cpt Naomi Radke (naomi@afap.org.au) – AFAP Safety and Technical Officer
Lachlan Gray (lachlan@afap.org.au) – AFAP Safety and Technical Officer
Welfare
For immediate confidential assistance for your or your family the AFAP Membership Assistance Program (MAP) is available 24/7 on 1300 307 912 or via an online appointment.
The AFAP Member Assistance Program (MAP) engages PeopleSense by Altius to provide free, confidential counselling with a registered psychologist (trained in aviation and pilot-specific issues) for all AFAP members and their direct family members.
For other welfare inquiries please contact Jo Janes (joanne@afap.org.au) – AFAP Operations Manager.
Loss of Licence
For pilots interested in utilising their exclusive access as an AFAP member to the AAPMBF loss of licence product please contact membership@aapmbf.com.au or by calling (03) 9928 4500.
Further information on the AAPMBF is available here: https://www.aapmbf.com.au/
Membership
For information regarding membership, please contact our administration team on membership@afap.org.au.
Please also see attached our membership flyer and joining form. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone interested in joining the AFAP.
Incident or Accident Emergency 24/7 Support
In an emergency the AFAP 24/7 incident/ accident hotline is: +61 (0) 459 747 757
Further information on the AFAP incident or accident response is available here.
For any general inquiries regarding this update or other matters at Qantas please contact the AFAP legal and industrial team of Senior Legal/ Industrial Officer Pat Larkins (patrick@afap.org.au), Senior Industrial Officer Chris Aikens (chris@afap.org.au), or Executive Director Simon Lutton (simon@afap.org.au).
Regards,
AFAP Qantas Pilot Council
Michael Armessen
Michael Egan
Mark Gilmour
Daniel Kobeleff