Qantas domestic cabin crew have agreed to a new deal of working terms with the airline management that will avoid the threatened strike action.
More than 1,500 FAAA members voted in favour of the agreement that will only increase work hours from 9.45 to 10 hours – rather than the 12 hours sought by the airline. Rest periods will also be maintained.
Around 1,500 cabin crew voted in favor of the deal and accepted the Qantas 3% annual pay increase and the bonus payment and share offer. They would not have been eligible for the extra bonuses if they had gone on strike.
Qantas wanted to extend duty periods from 9.45 to 12 hours and up to 14 hours to cover disruptions. It also wanted to reduce rest time between duty to ten hours when flights were disrupted and no other crew was available.
The flight attendant union had threatened the airline management of strike just before the Christmas and New Year holidays. Qantas and the Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA) were in negotiation since then. Previously an FAAA-organized ballot of 1,200 cabin crew rejected a Qantas proposal and voted in favor of industrial action.
Fortunately, the airline and the union have come to terms with the new agreement.