Alliance Group - Pressure is Mounting!
In our last Update (Wednesday 4/12), to you and all other Members who work for the Alliance Group throughout Australia, the AFAP "went out on a limb".
Despite evidence to the contrary over recent months, the AFAP suggested that in a FWC mandatory conciliation conference conducted last Monday (2/12), in relation to the Queensland PIA ballot, that:
… there was a potential development that may significantly impact how the current enterprise agreement (EA) bargaining processes with the Alliance Group across the three states (Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia) are likely to proceed, going forward.
Deputy President Lake, from the FWC, who ran the conciliation conference on Monday was prepared to consider the arguments put to him by the AFAP (and TWU) that negotiating three separate EAs with the Alliance Group, whilst at the same time leaving Northern Territory Pilots without an EA, may not be very efficient or likely to lead to the best outcome.
He proposed that it would be worthwhile for representatives from the AFAP, TWU and Alliance Group management to meet with him next Wednesday (11/12), Thursday (12/12), and even possibly Friday (13/12) in discussions, to see whether all parties can agree on a potentially more effective way to negotiate an EA or EAs for Alliance Group Pilots.
What the AFAP should have also noted about the outcome of that conference was that Alliance Group management would:
- provide a response on Tuesday (10/12) as to whether they would agree to a single National EA; and,
- submit section 240 applications, so that the conciliation conferences on Wednesday (11/12), Thursday (12/12) and Friday (13/12) could go ahead.
The AFAP thought at the time, that Alliance Group management may have finally seen the 'error of their ways' in the way it has been conducting all three (3) current enterprise agreement negotiations (Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia).
Along with that possible concession, it sounded as if Alliance Group management were also prepared to reconsider several issues in the negotiation process. There was no substantial discussion, and nothing too significant was being offered, but it gave your AFAP representatives in Queensland some hope that it might have demonstrated a new willingness by Alliance Group management to alter the way that they were prepared to negotiate the 3 current EAs from that point on.
So, what happened?
Well, simply put, your AFAP representatives were wrong!!
The AFAP, for example, was unaware at that time that Alliance Group management had already released a newsletter to Queensland Pilots late Tuesday (2/4) night, stating amongst other things, that:
- They had participated in the conciliation conference on 2/12, wanting “… to reach a deal”;
- It was disappointing that both the AFAP and TWU have chosen to put [the issue of a single national EA] as a fundamental issue [that needs to be dealt with];
- The Company came ready today to provide a revised position on a number of claims in the genuine hope that the parties would be able to reach resolution to the outstanding claims …
Obviously, if Alliance Group management really did have a number of revised positions that they wanted to put to your AFAP representatives (and to the TWU), we would have been only too ‘happy’ to listen to them. The responsibility though was on Alliance Group management to ensure that those concessions were passed on to your AFAP representatives (as well as to the TWU). Their failure to provide any information about these "revised positions" was their failing, not that of your AFAP Representatives (or the TWU).
Just two days later, on Wednesday (4/12), in the separate mandatory conciliation conference conducted by DP Lake in relation to the proposed Adelaide PIA, the position put forward by Alliance Group management was very different. It was made very clear that the overall attitude of Alliance Group management, in relation to the three (3) current negotiations, had in fact seemingly NOT changed at all.
Alliance Group management were still keen apparently to go ahead with the proposed meetings scheduled for later this week, but there were now a number of stipulations, including that:
- Perth Pilot representatives were to be excluded from the discussions.
- Darwin Pilot representatives were also to be excluded;
- Queensland Pilot representatives would only attend the discussions on Wednesday and Thursday; and,
- Adelaide Pilot representatives would only participate in the meeting on Friday.
As you can imagine, the AFAP (and the TWU) were immediately unsure as to how you can possibly conduct appropriate discussions about having a single EA, and what the pay and conditions should be in any such document, when you propose to exclude most of the various Pilot groups from each of the daily discussions.
Try to imagine how that particular suggestion went down with your Pilot representatives from around the country, when they were told!!
Then, Alliance Group management put out an inflammatory newsletter on 4/12, directed to the Adelaide Pilot group. The newsletter claimed (amongst other things) that:
- The Company attended the conference with a genuine desire to reach agreement with Adelaide Pilots;
- The position taken by the AFAP and TWU has been to advise that the fundamental issue for Adelaide Pilots is a National EA and that they were not willing to progress discussions on any other terms and conditions unless the Company agree to a National EA;
- This is in direct opposition to our objective of having an EA ready to vote on in a reasonable timeframe, so [you and your colleagues] are able to benefit from the increased remuneration and other terms and conditions as soon as possible;
- Taking this position [a National EA] nearly 12 months into the process would cause significant delays.
It is a well-practiced tactic for employers during EA bargaining to try to ‘divide and conquer’ their workforce. The major problem though for Alliance Group management, in relation to all those claims, was that they were blatantly inaccurate.
For example, the preference by Pilot Representatives for a National EA was raised in the very first negotiation meeting conducted in Adelaide approximately 10+ months ago, and repeated by your AFAP representatives (along with those of the TWU) in a number of subsequent bargaining meetings.
Why then is Alliance Group management now claiming that pursuing a single, national EA will cause significant delays?
Similarly, after deliberately dragging the current bargaining process out for well over 10 months in South Australia, by constantly offering poor pay and conditions, it’s very interesting to now have Alliance Group management claiming that they are keen to see Adelaide pilots benefit from the increased remuneration and other terms and conditions as soon as possible.
Do they really think that Adelaide Pilots are going to be fooled by such rubbish?
All it seems to signal is that Alliance Group management are still scheming to find a way to give you and your colleagues sub-standard EAs!
By continuing with their long-held "divide and conquer" strategy, negotiating state by state, actually coming to the bargaining table and agreeing to a single, national EA certainly does NOT meet their goals.
So, in light of that, your AFAP representatives have had to look at other strategies!
Adelaide PIA Ballot
The PIA ballot for Adelaide-based Pilots closed last Wednesday afternoon (4/12).
Congratulations to all AFAP members in Adelaide on a great result! In short, all 11 forms of PIA on the ballot were strongly supported!
In fact, the lowest “YES” vote on any of the eleven items turned out to be 81% in favour.
As such, the message from Adelaide members to Alliance Group management could not have been much louder!
Your Pilot Representatives and AFAP staff are now looking at when PIA actions can commence. Importantly, the Fair Work Act 2009 stipulates that at least three (3) full days’ written notice must be given to Alliance Group management whenever AFAP members intend to take any form of PIA. So, taking PIA is unfortunately not as spontaneous as the AFAP and you and/or other members might wish for.
All Adelaide based members should stay tuned in coming days for further advice.
Queensland PIA Ballot
The Queensland PIA ballot closes this Tuesday afternoon (10/12).
The AFAP encourages any member in Queensland who has not yet voted in the PIA ballot, to vote ASAP. Remember too, to vote “YES” to all 11 listed PIA actions, just like your South Australian colleagues.
Why?
Because if a majority of AFAP members vote in favour of all 11 forms of PIA, it gives you and your colleagues the greatest power to strategically use PIA to convince Alliance Group management that they need to change their position in the current EA bargaining.
Let’s be clear though. After a 96% ‘NO’ vote back in mid-October, for what was a shocking EA, the AFAP is not quite sure why Alliance Group management have not got the clear message already!
There should be no need for a PIA ballot application anywhere in Australia. Alliance Group management should have got what was a very strong and clear message, that vast improvements were necessary in their draft EA in Queensland (and in EAs in the other States as well).
Instead, they have simply chosen to ignore that message!
Western Australia PIA Ballot
Last Friday (6/12), the FWC approved the AFAP’s application to conduct a PIA ballot of all Western Australian members. The TWU’s application was also approved.
The exact start date of the PIA ballot has not as yet been confirmed by the independent ballot company, but it is likely to be by the end of the upcoming week.
When the ballot opens, the AFAP asks that all members in Perth vote “YES” to all twelve (12) PIA actions listed. By voting “YES” to all 12 PIA actions you will give the AFAP and your Pilot representatives the greatest ability to plan and implement the best strategy to try to ensure Alliance Group management vastly improve the pay and conditions that they have offered Perth Pilot so far in over five months of EA negotiations.
Summary
To repeat advice put out to Adelaide Pilots last week by their AFAP and TWU Pilot Representatives, all Pilots in the Alliance Group should consider the current situation where Adelaide Pilots have now voted in favour of PIA, and Queensland Pilots and Perth Pilots are now both in the process of voting in PIA ballots. Clearly, that should raise serious questions about the current EA negotiation processes overall.
Alliance Group management is undoubtedly trying to “put a spin” on the current situation that it currently finds itself in. It appears that they are prepared to attempt to confuse you and your colleagues whenever they can, in order to distort what is actually happening in the current situation.
However, it remains very clear that they alone are responsible for the whole current problematic situation. With PIA now available to instigate in Adelaide, and possibly in Queensland in the coming days, pressure will continue to mount on Alliance Group management.
Look out for further Updates later this week, as further developments occur.
If you have any questions, please speak to one of the Pilot Representatives involved in bargaining in your State, or contact AFAP Senior Industrial Officer James Mattner by email (james@afap.org,au).