Qantas labour hire workers due to land major pay rise
Fraser Barton |
A controversial workplace law has sparked another Qantas labour hire pay deal, with hundreds of staff set to receive a rise of up to $8000.
Labor’s landmark “same job, same pay” reforms have again come under the spotlight ahead of the federal election after the latest wage agreement featuring the national carrier.
The Transport Workers Union used the law to secure a deal with Qantas Freight, ensuring wage increases for labour hire workers at companies Wymap and Programmed.
About 200 workers will receive pay rises on average of $5000 a year, sparking more industrial relations debate between Labor and the coalition.
Labor claimed it was another win for “same job, same pay” reforms passed in late 2023, which closed a loophole that allowed labour hire workers to be paid less than a business’ direct employees.
In March, more than 750 domestic flight attendants from labour hire firms received a pay boost of up to $20,000 in a deal with Qantas, ensuring they earned the same as colleagues employed directly by the carrier.
The Transport Workers Union hoped the latest deal would discourage Qantas from engaging labour hire companies, claiming the airline was a key reason behind the “same job, same pay” law.
Qantas was found to be illegally outsourcing its entire ground operations in 2020, with the airline agreeing to a compensation fund of $120 million in 2024.
The union on Wednesday claimed Qantas employed staff through 38 subsidiaries and labour companies, saying they were set up to suppress wages and conditions.
“This (Qantas Freight deal) is massive win for workers right across aviation,” union national secretary Michael Kaine told AAP.
“There’s less incentive for Qantas to be engaging labour hire companies, more incentive for them to be bringing workers onto a direct hire workforce – that’s good for everyone.
“These laws work to get wage justice for workers, and also to support good businesses that are trying to do the right thing.”
Mining companies have led calls for the “same job, same pay” law to be overturned.
The coalition initially indicated it would review Labor’s industrial relations agenda if it won the May 3 election, but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has since ruled out repealing reforms.
It still sparked debate on Wednesday after the Qantas Freight deal was hailed as “another victory for workers” under Labor’s wage protection.
“Peter Dutton’s claim he wouldn’t scrap ‘same job, same pay’ laws didn’t even last a day before Michaelia Cash raised the prospect of changing them if the Liberals win power,” Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt said.
Senator Cash, the opposition employment spokeswoman, rejected Senator Watt’s comments.
“Murray Watt is making stuff up again,” she said.
“No one is listening to him so he has to resort to ridiculous scare campaigns.
“The coalition has made it clear we will not repeal ‘same job, same pay’.”
Qantas on Wednesday confirmed the freight deal, saying it would continue to engage constructively with unions and assess “same job, same pay” applications on a case-by-case basis.
Qantas’ underlying profits for the first half of the financial year was $1.4 billion.
AAP
