In an announcement made on Monday, the federal government said it would extend financial support to the domestic aviation industry until March while it recovers from the turmoil of COVID-19.
The TWU claims public funding provided to the industry should be tied to commitments by the airlines to retain jobs rather than outsourcing work to third parties. Picture: NCA NewsWire/James GourleyQantas in late November announced it would cull a further 2500 jobs as a result of a strategic decision to outsource ground services at 10 Australian airports. The decision coincided with a Qantas financial update that forecast it would break even in 2021.
“This is no-strings-attached corporate welfare at its worst. The federal government is opening the public purse to the likes of Qantas without ensuring that the taxpayer is getting a good deal,” he said. The TWU last week announced it had lodged legal action against Qantas over its decision to axe ground servicing operations, claiming the dismissal of 2500 staff was unlawful.
Qantas said the TWU’s executive salary claim was in accurate, saying its executives took a base pay cut during the pandemic of up to 35 per cent.