Fokker Replacement & Arbitration Update
Following our report back from our last AFAP Network Pilot Council, members will recall that in the report regarding a potential Fokker replacement there was still little information forthcoming from the management team, other than the matter was still under review from the Qantas Board.
This ongoing lack of a decision by the Qantas Board coupled with the escalating maintenance issues of the Fokker fleet has prompted the Pilot Council to write directly to the Board to make an urgent decision regarding fleet replacement. In addition the Pilot Council sought assurances from the Board that current Fokker pilots would not be ridden roughshod over by external candidates once a fleet replacement has been decided.
A copy of the Council's letter to the Chairman of the Qantas Board can be seen here. You will see at the end of the letter the Council has sought a meeting with Board representatives to ensure the voice of the Fokker Pilots is clearly heard as part of this decision making process. We shall of course keep members advised of the Board's response.
FWC Arbitration Update
After months of waiting for an Arbitration decision, the parties were contacted yesterday regarding the recent Federal Full Bench Decision that threw out in totality an appeal against the AFAP. That appeal against the AFAP argued that Standby should not be counted towards both the 38 hour week and any additional overtime over and above 38 hours.
The recent decision by the Federal Full Bench was a full vindication of the AFAP's position regarding standby and both during the FWC hearing in October and as part of the AFAP proposed determination for Network Aviation, numerous references were made to ensure that all standby (or reserve) had to be fully accounted for as part of ensuring both BOOT compliance and as part of the Network Pilots actual working week.
The request from the Fairwork Commission seeks further submissions from the parties by 22nd April. The request from the Commission can be viewed
here, and the Full Bench Decision regarding Standby can be viewed
here.
This hopefully means that the FWC is close to a final arbitrated outcome and that the BOOT compliance test (upon which the submissions are sought) are also hopefully the final steps needed to be taken by the FWC prior to issuing the new Network Pilot Agreement.
As always your AFAP Network Aviation Pilot Council are:
Stephen Maughan:
smaughan@iinet.net.au
Ben Walmsley:
ben.walms@gmail.com
Joshua Sheldon:
Josh.b.sheldon@gmail.com
Sasha Leavy:
sasha_leavy@hotmail.com
Matt Atkinson:
matkinson209@gmail.com
Eman Zimmerman:
mano01@hotmail.com
Mark Levitt:
ml.network.pilotcouncil@outlook.com
Geoffrey Aro:
flyingaro@gmail.com
In addition, the AFAP Senior Industrial Officer Chris Aikens is contactable on
chris@afap.org.au. The AFAP Member Assistance Program (MAP) can be contacted via Freecall 1300 307 912