COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the airline industry and, while Qantas isn't immune, it seems to have found some permanent cost savings made possible by the pandemic.
After more than two decades working for Qantas at Sydney Airport, Nick Bennett is waiting for the axe to fall.Qantas is taking advantage of reduced air traffic during the pandemic to outsource its ground handling operationsThe union representing the workers says it is prepared to challenge Qantas in court to stop the plan in echoes of the Waterfront Dispute
He thought his job was safe after more than a third of his team took redundancies as part of the 6,000 jobs cut across the company. The airline says those losses mean it has had to "make some fundamental changes", which also included, and a review of office locations and sponsorships. "We drive the high lift trucks, the medical trucks, the mobile stairs and we are more experienced because of the years of service we've put into the company," Ms Celik explains."These workers will now take a massive cut in pay and will be subject to less stringent safety measures, less training. That can't be good for anyone involved in aviation in Australia," Mr Kaine adds.However, Qantas defends their safety records.
The gap in operations caused by COVID-19 has opened the door for Qantas to potentially have the very same workers doing the same work, but without the same pay and conditions.
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