Qantas job cuts

[Jim Goose]

Well there we go... we close the airline down to force arbitration (illegally mind you).... then finally come an agreement about wages... then we sack them.

I can see all maintenance going overseas now... which is what has been said for a few years now.

Qantas is expected to announce hundreds of job cuts when it releases its half-yearly results later today.

The Herald Sun is reporting the airline is poised to announce hundreds of general staff cuts, as well as putting more than 1,400 maintenance jobs under review.

The paper is reporting the maintenance job losses, to come from the Tullamarine and Avalon operations in Victoria and from the Brisbane workshop, will result in the closure of at least one of the heavy maintenance bases.

The airline has already flagged a sharp decline in profits and axed 1,000 jobs last year.

It has been involved in a long-running battle with unions over fears the airline is planning to move the majority of its operations offshore.

Qantas refused to comment ahead of the release of its results.

But one Qantas aircraft welder at Melbourne airport told the ABC he had been told that the maintenance bases in Victoria will be consolidated.

"What we've been told is there is to be one maintenance base in Victoria. Rather than having Avalon and Melbourne working in tandem, there should be one maintenance base. That would leave Brisbane and one in Victoria."

ACTU national secretary Jeff Lawrence says any job cuts at Qantas would not come as a surprise.

"Ever since the dispute last year it's been pretty clear that Qantas was intent on restructuring operations and cutting jobs," he said.

"And so it's a concern and when you add it to some of the other things that have been happening in the job market it does show that we've got some challenges at the start of 2012."

Yesterday Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu had a briefing from Qantas but refused to answer questions about the possible job cuts.

"Qantas makes market-sensitive announcements about its half-yearly report," he said.

"I had a brief discussion and I don't intend to go into the details about that."

Profit and massive payrises for CEOs is the prime directive these days, whereby being super rich and voting yourself payrises is the norm.
Sacking the workers and making excuses about "unsustainable" costs is utter rubbish.... look at the ANZ, where its posted massive profits, has lifted interest rates and announced 1000 people will be sacked as well.