Pilots at Australia’s major regional airline Rex (Regional EXpress) will vote whether to strike amid heated wage negotiations, with the union claiming the airline’s offer amounts to a pay cut. The Fair Work Commission approved the Australian Federation of Air Pilots’ application to hold a ballot, allowing its members to vote on taking protected industrial action. According to the commission’s order, made on Tuesday afternoon, members will vote on a number of actions, including four-hour work stoppages and bans on signing in for work if there has been less than 10 hours between shifts.
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| REX BOEING 737-8FE VH-REX (MSN 36609) |
IN A STATEMENT RELEASED BY REGIONAL EXPRESS LAST WEEK, THE AIRLINE SAID IT WAS MADE AWARE OF “MALICIOUS, MISLEADING AND DECEPTIVE,” CORRESPONDENCE CIRCULATED BY THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF AIR PILOTS (AFAP) TO THE AIRLINE’S MEMBERS.
The regional airline went on to express its concern about this issue, considering the president of the AFAP is Louise Pole, a pilot with QantasLink, a competitor to Rex.
Rex said that this correspondence was circulated as there are negotiations ongoing in relation to the SAAB Pilot Enterprise Bargaining Agreement between Rex and the AFAP.
The airline said it is disappointing that the AFAP would “manipulate information” provided to the airline during the course of negotiations.
Rex claims that it has often updated the market regarding the impact of Qantas’ “predatory conduct” on regional routes, in contrast to the AFAP’s assertions.
The regional airline went on to express its concern about this issue, considering the president of the AFAP is Louise Pole, a pilot with QantasLink, a competitor to Rex.
Rex said that this correspondence was circulated as there are negotiations ongoing in relation to the SAAB Pilot Enterprise Bargaining Agreement between Rex and the AFAP.
The airline said it is disappointing that the AFAP would “manipulate information” provided to the airline during the course of negotiations.
Rex claims that it has often updated the market regarding the impact of Qantas’ “predatory conduct” on regional routes, in contrast to the AFAP’s assertions.
Rex withdrew from 5 regional routes, in addition to another 2 routes announced earlier in May, the regional airline claimed. (Rex will stop operating routes from Bathurst BHS/YBTH, Grafton GFN/YGFN, Lismore LYS/YLIS, and Ballina BNK/YBNA on the 2nd July.)
“It is unfortunate that these regional communities are the collateral damage of Qantas’ bullying and heartless behaviour,” Rex’s deputy chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM said last week.
“This behaviour is all the more unconscionable after receiving more than $2 billion in Federal bailouts over the past two years.
“QANTAS’ WELL-PUBLICISED PREDATORY ACTIONS ON REX’S REGIONAL ROUTES HAVE MEANT REX NO LONGER HAS THE ABILITY TO CROSS SUBSIDISE THESE MARGINAL ROUTES.”
Qantas responded to these claims by Rex as “false” in a statement on the Qantas website.
“This is just the latest example of Rex blaming Qantas and others for decisions that by its own admission it has made “to look after itself,” the airline wrote in a statement.
A Qantas spokesperson added: “Rex has a monopoly on three of these routes it’s abandoning, so if it can’t make them work, it has no-one else to blame but itself.”
Rex held a board meeting late last month where it resolved that resources from the terminated routes will be channeled to other regional routes that have strong passenger numbers and growth potential.
The regional airline is currently flying at about 90 per cent of pre-COVID levels, with passenger numbers also at about 90 per cent of pre-COVID levels.
The airline believes it will be reaching over 100 per cent of pre-COVID levels at the start of the new financial year.
“It is unfortunate that these regional communities are the collateral damage of Qantas’ bullying and heartless behaviour,” Rex’s deputy chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM said last week.
“This behaviour is all the more unconscionable after receiving more than $2 billion in Federal bailouts over the past two years.
“QANTAS’ WELL-PUBLICISED PREDATORY ACTIONS ON REX’S REGIONAL ROUTES HAVE MEANT REX NO LONGER HAS THE ABILITY TO CROSS SUBSIDISE THESE MARGINAL ROUTES.”
Qantas responded to these claims by Rex as “false” in a statement on the Qantas website.
“This is just the latest example of Rex blaming Qantas and others for decisions that by its own admission it has made “to look after itself,” the airline wrote in a statement.
A Qantas spokesperson added: “Rex has a monopoly on three of these routes it’s abandoning, so if it can’t make them work, it has no-one else to blame but itself.”
Rex held a board meeting late last month where it resolved that resources from the terminated routes will be channeled to other regional routes that have strong passenger numbers and growth potential.
The regional airline is currently flying at about 90 per cent of pre-COVID levels, with passenger numbers also at about 90 per cent of pre-COVID levels.
The airline believes it will be reaching over 100 per cent of pre-COVID levels at the start of the new financial year.
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