Company Offer So Bad It’s Offensive!
This week (Monday 2 June 2025) we held another joint union bargaining meeting with Express Freighters Australia (EFA) management. This time the meeting was in Melbourne.
Attending for EFA were Richard Hardonin (Head of Flying Operations and 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), Patrick Lawler (Qantas IR) and Karl Romberg-Yee (Qantas IR).
The pilot representatives and union employees attending for the EFA pilots were Simon Lutton (AFAP), Susha Semenikow, Dean McMahon, Ed Nell (TWU), Aaron Kirsh, Jane Cleary (AIPA), Maddy Vaz (AIPA), Geoff Thompson and Nick Swanson.
As you would recall, we requested bargaining commence in June 2024 when it became apparent that the salaries provided under the current EFA EA were about to fall below the Award salary. EFA management refused this request and bargaining finally commenced in January 2025.
For the past 6 months we have gone through a very detailed process of explaining what the pilot group is seeking and the basis for each of these claims. This has involved sharing the results of a very detailed survey, compilation of an extensive “Statement of Claims”, explanation of the key issues at multiple all-day meetings and the provision of a summary “without prejudice” proposal on 12 May 2025. A copy of this 12 May 2025 joint union proposal is provided again for your reference – click here.
During negotiations we have been continually frustrated by the Company’s speed to identify elements they could not agree to, coupled with a refusal to put back a counteroffer or details of what they can agree to.
At the meeting of 14 May 2025, the Company finally committed to providing a counteroffer (proposal of their own) before or at this week’s meeting. We finally received the Company’s proposal at this week’s meeting.
To say we were extremely disappointed with their proposal is an enormous understatement.
The Company outlined their proposal via a “without prejudice” PowerPoint presentation. We have a copy of this presentation but will leave it to the company regarding whether they want to share it with the pilot group. We would understand if they were too embarrassed to do so.
The key elements of EFA’s proposal are:
- They (EFA/Qantas) want a four-year agreement (the maximum period allowable). They will however agree to commence bargaining (for what it is worth) 3 months before the nominal expiry.
- They want a salary rate less than any other equivalent EA in the Group. EFA is proposing a A321 salary rate so low it is even less than the F100 salary rate under any current EA and far less than was even offered at Network Aviation. Their proposed year 1 A321 Captain rate from 1 January 2026 (i.e. next year) is $210,600 and A321 FO rate is $136,932. The A330 first year Captain rate for 1 January 2026 provided is $237,485 and A330 FO rate is $161,239.68. The rationale for their figures is to start with a figure 4% above the Award rate on 1 January 2026 and adjust the figure by 3% (the Qantas Wages Policy figure) each subsequent 1 January. Assuming a 3% Award increase each 1 July this buffer falls to 1% before being topped up by 3% again each 1 January. As we saw in the current agreement, this 4% (then 1%) buffer above the Award will get ‘eaten away’ if future Award adjustments are above 3% and many EFA pilots will again be paid less than the Award.
- EFA did propose a set of Captain increments (0-3 years, 3-5 years, 5-7 years and >7 years) and FO increments (0-3 years, 3-5 years and >5 years) however these increments are only 1.5% (when the standard for these types of grouped increments is 2.5% - 3%) and it is again not years of service but years in that seat and aircraft. This means that an FO going to Command starts at year 1 and a long-serving narrow-body Captain going to a wide-body Command starts at year 1 under the structure.
- Mixed fleet flying (A321/A330) and only receiving the higher fleet rate if you fly the higher paying aircraft that roster period.
- Referencing of a Roster Manual that the company can unilaterally change.
- 8 days off per 28 roster period. Yes, 8 days! This is less than the number of days off under any other current EA in the Qantas Group and again less than they even offered Network Aviation. On a positive note, like every other pilot in Australia, these days off can only be changed by agreement.
- Absolutely no roster protections. The only concession was that where within 48 hours they change your rostered sign-on time by more than 2 hours you will receive a nominal payment of $300 – Captain and $200 – FO. As a practical example, at short notice they could still move your duty from 2:00am to 10:00pm and only give $200/$300 for it. In our view it does not address the core issue of roster stability.
- Specification that reserve is not duty time and the introduction of a 6 hour airport reserve. There were no real details about how their proposed airport reserve would operate in practice such as the rest facilities provided.
- 1 admin day per year to do all on-line training (excluding training related to aircraft type rating training).
- Incorporation of the latest annual leave system including that pilots with more than 8 weeks of accrued leave must take 6 weeks leave, those with less than 8 weeks of accrued leave are only required to take 4 weeks annual leave and those with more than 10 weeks accrued leave can be forced on leave upon 6 weeks of notice and taken down to a balance of 6 weeks.
- Part-time option of “roster on roster off” (50% part-time) but no commitment to how many pilots may access it or other options.
- Formation of a pilot council which will meet quarterly but without any power stop or veto a company decision.
They have refused to make any changes at all to duty travel or provide any protections or undertakings around the proposed move to Western Sydney airport. They have also excluded any form of DHA as paid at other operators in the group.
EFA did however provide some seniority concessions (limited to promotion and transfers) and a proposal to provide a bidding process within 6 months of commencement of a new agreement. They also provided fixed amount check and training allowances close to what we have sought and a couple of other minor items.
Overall, it seems to us that, despite recent rhetoric to the contrary, Qantas has not changed its industrial relations approach at all. This is the same unnecessarily combative approach as was taken in the last round of negotiations when EFA/Qantas forced through a sub-standard agreement under the threat of taking away back-pay.
At some point you need to stand up to a bully. Now is that time.
Accordingly, today we have lodged a “Form F34 – Application for a protected action ballot order” with the Fair Work Commission (FWC). We expect that the TWU and AIPA will do likewise.
Conducting a protected industrial action ballot is a lawful step in support of reaching an agreement. Within the next week or so we will be required to provide the balloting agent (an approved independent company) with a list of members at EFA. Only relevant union members will be entitled to vote in this ballot. It is important that EFA pilots send the company a clear and unequivocal message that the above offer is simply nowhere good enough and you are prepared to fight for more.
The AFAP currently has just over 80 members at EFA. AIPA and the TWU will also have members. If you are not currently a union member, we strongly encourage you to join the AFAP.
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