EFA Update - Survey Result and S206 Dispute
Last week your EFA pilot reps met again with representatives from the other pilot unions to discuss various matters.
Survey Result
The first matter of business was the result in the recent survey. You may recall that last month we did a short survey as follows:
If Express Freighters Australia (EFA) does not commence bargaining in good faith prior to the nominal expiry of the Express Freighters Australia Operations Pty Ltd Enterprise Agreement 2021 (2021 EFA Agreement) on 31 December 2024 then I would like the AFAP to make application as soon as possible after the nominal expiry date to:
-
A. Commence a Protected Industrial Action (PIA) ballot in accordance with the Fair Work Act; or
B. Terminate the 2021 EFA Agreement in accordance with the Fair Work Act; or
C. Both A and B; or
D. Other (Please specify)
The result was a resounding 80% chose option C. Both A and B.
In other words, the vast majority of EFA pilots want the AFAP to move quickly after 1 January 2025 to both lodge a PIA ballot application and apply to terminate the 2021 EFA Agreement.
Given the recent increase in members at EFA, the pilot reps have decided that they will likely redo the survey before the end of the year as well as survey members on what they would like to achieve in the next EA. This will form the basis of our log of claims.
Salaries below the Award – s206 dispute
You may also recall that since 1 July 2024 the salaries under the current EFA EA have fallen below those in the Air Pilots Award 2020.
In terms of specifics, the majority of EFA line pilots currently receive the following salaries at EFA:
Wide-Body
Captain $217,595
FO $146, 645
Narrow-Body
Captain $193,157
FO $127,071
As previously advised to EFA, the relevant Award salaries effective from 1 July 2024 are as follows:
Wide-Body
Captain $220,629
FO $149,795
Narrow-Body
Captain $195,653
FO $127,213
Despite our requests in June this year to address this situation and urgently commence bargaining for a replacement agreement, EFA (no doubt upon the advice of Qantas IR) have refused to either address the salaries or commence bargaining before the nominal expiry date of the 2021 EFA Agreement (31 December 2024).
Following further consideration of our legal options and the EFA’s obligations under s206 of the Fair Work Act 2009 we have now commenced the dispute resolution procedure. If EFA does not voluntary increase the salaries of all affected pilots to the Award level and backdate it to 1 July 2024, we will progress the matter to the Fair Work Commission.
EFAs behaviour in this matter is just disgraceful and we are disappointed that we have been forced to take these steps.
Enterprise Agreement
The final items discussed at last week’s meeting centred around preparation, information and communications leading up to the expiry of the current EFA EA. In the next few updates you can expect to see:
- comparison information on the Award versus the EFA EA;
- comparison information on the EFA EA versus other Pilot EAs
- A survey to help inform our Log of Claims; and
- Some general information on the bargaining process, your rights and options.
The next meeting of EFA pilot reps has been scheduled for 28 October and you can expect another update shortly after that.
If you have any questions on the above please contact us directly or Simon Lutton at the AFAP on (03) 9928 5737 or email simon@afap.org.au.
Yours sincerely
Liam Bottomley, Susha Semenikow and Dean McMahon
AFAP EFA Pilot Representatives