Union and EFA Pilot Reps L-R – Simon Lutton (AFAP), Aaron Kirsh, Nick Swanson, Dean McMahon, Ed Nell (TWU), Susha Semenikow, Tony Shukralla, Jane Cleary (AIPA), Maddy Vaz (AIPA)
This week (Wednesday 5 February 2025) we held another bargaining meeting with Express Freighters Australia (EFA) management. This time the meeting was a joint union meeting, as we have been requesting for some time. The meeting was held in person in Sydney.
Attending for EFA were Richard Hardonin (Head of Flying Operations and Chief Pilot, Qantas Freight), David McCutcheon (Deputy Chief Pilot, Qantas Freight), Kate Bennett (Senior Manager Base Operations, Qantas Freight), Riki Cannon (Head of Commercial, Qantas Freight), Alison Hamilton (Qantas HR), Jim Morton (Qantas IR), Karl Romberg-Yee (Qantas IR) and Tom O’Donnell (Qantas IR),
The pilot reps and union employees attending for the EFA pilots (as pictured above) were Simon Lutton (AFAP), Aaron Kirsh, Nick Swanson, Dean McMahon, Ed Nell (TWU), Susha Semenikow, Tony Shukrulla, Jane Cleary (AIPA) and Maddy Vaz (AIPA).
At the start of the meeting the company emphasised that from their position “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”. They did however explain that on a without prejudice basis they would be able to indicate which claims they would be open to considering in the context of a full package. This is not an unusual approach to bargaining. It essentially means that for example, they cannot fully commit to a certain lifestyle improvement until they know the quantum of a remuneration improvement (and vice versa).
As foreshadowed, at this meeting we ran through and discussed “Section 3 – Hours of Work” of the Joint Union ‘Statement of Claims’.
Section 3 includes 24 separate claims. We explained the basis and rationale behind each of these claims. We also explained that some of the claims covered similar issues and that by addressing one of the claims another claim may no longer be necessary or reduce.
Just before a short break in negotiations we came to claim 3.7 which covers “conditions regarding days off”. This includes the claim that a rostered day off may only be changed by mutual agreement. We stressed how critical this issue is and that no agreement can possibly be reached without this condition being agreed. The company advised that they were “open to considering this claim” and gave it what they described as a “positive indication”. They did however maintain that they could not confirm it (or any other condition) until a full proposal was agreed.
Over the break the unions and pilot reps discussed this point in detail and our general dissatisfaction with the company not immediately confirming the next agreement will provide that a day off can only be changed by mutual agreement. Upon re-entering the room, we requested that at a minimum the company provide a statement to all pilots along the following lines:
“As an act of good faith and while negotiations are continuing EFA undertake not to require any EFA pilot to work on a rostered day off unless they agree. This undertaking will continue until further notice.”
EFA management advised that they would consider this undertaking. We requested confirmation by COB Wednesday but as of today we have not received confirmation.
The next meeting has been penciled in for 26 February 20025 where we have requested their preliminary position to our Hours of Work claims before discussing Section 4 – Remuneration of the Joint Union ‘Statement of Claims’.
We will keep you updated on developments.
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
Susha Semenikow and Dean McMahon
AFAP EFA Pilot Representatives