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The Qantas Melbourne Maintenance Facility at Tullamarine, which will be affected by job cuts. Picture: Stuart Mcevoy Source: The Australian
Qantas to cut 400 workers jobs
Qantas is expected to announce that more than 400 heavy maintenance jobs will be cut at Tullamarine Airport.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announcing a slump in the airline's profits and plans to cut 500 jobs. Picture: Sam Mooy Source: The Australian
Qantas restructures maintenance operations Not enough work for three separate facilities CEO says Qantas still committed to Australia
AUSTRALIA'S aircraft maintenance and engineering capacity will be decimated by Qantas' decision to axe 500 jobs, unions say.
Qantas announced it would shed the jobs as part of a restructure of its heavy maintenance facilities in Victoria and Queensland.
Unions reacted angrily, saying the job cuts would adversely affect the maintenance of Qantas aircraft and even threaten national security.
The Qantas Engineers Alliance, which is made up of members from three unions, urged the federal government to intervene to safeguard Australia's capacity to maintain aircraft.
Alliance member and Australian Workers Union Victorian branch secretary Cesar Melham said there were fears even more jobs could be axed by Qantas.
"Our concern is that this decision is the thin edge of wedge as fleets start to be retired," he said in a statement.
"We are likely to see further loss of jobs at other sites and we have no guarantees from Qantas about how they will ensure the long-term viability of aircraft maintenance in this country.
"We are calling on government to immediately intervene and call an urgent aviation industry round table before any jobs and critical skills are lost. This should be done in the interests of our nation's capability and future security."
Transport Workers Union (TWU) national secretary Tony Sheldon accused Qantas of deliberately announcing the cuts on the same day as Mr Thomson's address to deflect attention.
"This is a strategic move by Qantas," he said.
"Their spin doctors are again working overtime to avoid the responsibility of downsizing and outsourcing a very successful airline."
The bulk of the job cuts - 422 - will be made from Qantas' heavy maintenance base at Tullamarine airport in Melbourne while another 113 jobs are being axed at its base at Avalon.
However, 30 new line maintenance jobs will be created in Melbourne and five in Sydney. Others are expected to open up at Qantas' operations in Brisbane as a result of heavy maintenance for 737s moving there.
In a statement released this morning, Qantas said: "The restructure is necessary as there is currently not enough heavy maintenance work required for three separate facilities and the introduction of new technology and modern aircraft means there will be a further 60 per cent reduction in heavy maintenance requirements over the next seven years."
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said Qantas would continue to be the only major airline in the world to do heavy maintenance at its own facilities in Australia.
Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union national secretary Paul Bastian described Qantas' decision as short-sighted.
"Not only does it have a devastating impact on workers at Tullamarine and their families, it threatens the very capability of Australia to continue to maintain its aircraft," he said.
"Qantas employs 6000 or almost two-thirds of Australia's total aircraft maintenance workforce.
"It is also responsible for providing more than 50 per cent of the training in this sector.
"It has a broader social responsibility as our national carrier, but this decision pays little heed to that."
Source: A day in the life of a wizard
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