Qantas profits have soared the last financial year to a pretax profit of $2.5 billion ($1.7 billion post tax)
Qantas’s profit margins have been supported by growing demand for domestic and international flights, higher airfare prices and lower operating costs.
Qantas received billions of dollars of government funding during the pandemic and over the same time were found by the federal court to have illegally sacked 1700 workers.
The company has increasingly restructured their business to move workers into multiple different entities paying different pay and conditions.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President Michele O’Neil:
“What we see with Qantas is not only increased costs to the average flyer, in a market they broadly control, but also an airline hell bent on driving down terms and conditions for its workers to maximise its profits.
“Qantas workers know that a huge share of this profit is the result of outsourcing their jobs to multiple companies, many of them labour hire companies owned by Quantas, where the airline has driven down wages and conditions for the benefit of outgoing chief executive Alan Joyce and Qantas shareholders.
“Qantas customers know all too well the impact of cancelled or delayed flights, lost luggage and regular inconvenience, whilst paying more for their ticket while fuel prices fall.
“Our flagship carrier, with these kinds of profits, should be respecting their workforce. Qantas workers deserve secure jobs and fair pay and conditions for the hard and important work they do to keep us all safe. Instead on some Qantas domestic flights, you see the cabin crew on 5 different rates of pay on the same plane. All for doing the same job.
Two workers, working alongside each other doing the same job with the same skills should be paid the same rate- and with these sorts of profits, we know they can afford it”.
ENDS
Media: Gareth Hathway 0499 878 782
