It made its comments as shareholders gathered for the Qantas annual general meeting on 21 October.
The union is urging the airline to stop the race to the bottom that is impoverishing aviation workers.
A recent Airports United report on conditions for aviation workers shows that low wages are leading to a high turnover of staff, which is creating potential security risks and safety hazards. It highlights Sydney airport, where ‘at any one time there are hundreds of workers with a temporary pass, those who have not yet had background security checks’.
Employees of QGS, a Qantas-owned company, are guaranteed just 20 hours per week. And in the past month it has emerged that QGS are underpaying workers accessing sick leave.
Other employees working for Qantas through labour hire firm Aerocare are guaranteed just 60 hours per month. These restricted hours place many below the poverty line. By contrast Qantas CEO Alan Joyce takes home a salary equivalent to over USD9.8 million.
Asha Walter, a QGS baggage handler at Sydney Airport, said: “Banks won’t loan to you because they can see you’re not earning enough and it’s a struggle meeting weekly costs. People want to be able to provide for their families and feel like they have a future in the industry.”
TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon challenged Qantas managers over whether they could survive on the wages paid to some of the employees in the company’s supply chain. He said the issue was about equity and fairness, about ensuring employees are able to support themselves and their families.
Almost 70 percent of aviation employees surveyed by the TWU said their pay did not allow them to meet their costs. Over three-quarters said they could not afford to retire at 65.
Read the TWU survey report The Qantas effect: the changing nature of aviation employment.
Read the Airports United report Record profits for airlines: airport workers under pressure.
Keep up with the latest news at the ITF aviation blog.
