Qantas Braces for Engineer Strikes: Minimal Flight Disruptions Expected

Qantas, Australia's flag carrier, is preparing for a series of rolling strikes by engineers, with minimal impact on flight operations expected. The industrial action, set to begin on Thursday, 26 September, is part of a wage dispute between the airline and the Alliance Unions representing around 1,100 aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) across Qantas.

The wage claim made by the Alliance Unions is for a 15 per cent pay rise this year and a further five per cent per year going forward, which they say would make up for 3.5 years of wage freezes. The unions argue that engineers have had their skills devalued by the airline and their wages have gone backward significantly in real terms over the past decade.

Qantas, however, maintains that it has held a series of meetings with the unions and made progress on a number of items. A spokesperson for the airline stated, "We're putting contingencies in place and don't currently expect this industrial action to have an impact on customers. We want to reach an agreement that includes pay rises and lifestyle benefits for our people."

The industrial action comes as Sydney faces additional flight disruptions due to weather conditions, with Airservices Australia implementing a ground delay program resulting in some cancellations across the Qantas network. However, Qantas emphasized that this is unrelated to the engineers' work stoppages.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union national secretary Steve Murphy told news.com that Qantas engineers are undervalued, underpaid, and underappreciated. He said, "If you've had a bad Qantas experience, well that's nothing compared to how Qantas makes their workers feel every day. Our highly skilled members deserve fair wages for the incredible work they do to keep us all safe in the air."


The industrial action is set to affect airports around Australia from Thursday, 26 September, and potentially extend into the following week. Despite the stoppages, Qantas remains confident that the impact on customers will be minimal. The airline is putting contingencies in place to ensure minimal disruption to its domestic network.

In conclusion, while Qantas is preparing for rolling strikes by engineers, the airline expects minimal impact on flight operations. The wage dispute between the airline and the Alliance Unions remains ongoing, with both parties engaged in negotiations to reach a mutually agreeable solution.