Statement attributable to ACTU President Michele O’Neil:
Today, the unions representing Virgin Australia workers supported Deloitte remaining as administrators of the airline.
Moving through the next stages of the administration process, we will be united and vocal in demanding that any solutions proposed by Deloitte meet three key objectives:
- Save Virgin workers’ jobs. 10,000 direct employees’ jobs and 6,000 direct contractors employees’ jobs are on the line. Our absolute priority in this process is to protect these workers and their families and to save as many jobs as possible.
- Protect workers’ entitlements. All workers’ entitlements must be protected. Every worker must be paid every cent of what is owed to them.
- Ensure a viable, future-proof national carrier and a viable Australian airline industry. Australia needs two national airlines to keep the air fair. Without Virgin Australia, rural and regional Australians will be left without transport links, and Qantas will be handed a monopoly.
There is still an opportunity to make Virgin an Australian-owned airline.
By buying equity in Virgin Australia, as part of a buyout of the airline, the Morrison Government could quickly bring this administration to an end and save the jobs of 16,000 Australians.
If they continue to sit back and watch this process unfold, they are sending a clear message: they do not care what happens to these workers and their families.
The unions representing Virgin Australia will continue to put the 16,000 Virgin Australia workers first and make sure that we are giving them the best possible advice and information as the administration process continues.
