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Tigerair Australia passengers face a weekend of potential flight delays and cancellations after two pilot unions confirmed plans to take protected industrial action over a new employment contract.
The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFPA), which represents about 75 per cent of Tigerair Australia pilots, said the protected industrial action would commence at 0600 on Friday, May 4 and end at 2359 on Sunday, May 6.
While pilots would still turn up for their rostered shifts, AFAP executive director Simon Lutton said the industrial action involved not working outside a pilot’s published roster, and not operating an aircraft until all allowable defects have been resolved.
Lutton said pilots at the Virgin Australia-owned low-cost carrier (LCC) were “simply looking for a fair deal”.
“After more than 12 months of negotiations, the decision to take protected industrial action was not made lightly,” Lutton said in a statement.
“Tigerair pilots fly the same aircraft as their counterparts at Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas, however this is not reflected in their employment conditions.”
The current agreement is well below industry standards, both in terms of pay and work-life balance. The company is not only refusing to provide basic employment conditions that are standard in the industry, they are also insisting on substantial cuts to conditions to justify salary increases.”
Virgin Independent Pilots Association (VIPA), which also represents some Tigerair Australia pilots, also planned to participate in the protected industrial action, according to a report in Fairfax Media.
Tigerair Australia said in a statement it was currently negotiating a new enterprise agreement with both pilot groups the AFAP and VIPA “in good faith” and looked forward to “reaching a mutually beneficial outcome as soon as possible”.
Further, the airline said it had plans to minimise any disruption to our customers, including re-accommodation onto other Tigerair Australia and Virgin Australia services.
“We will notify customers as soon as possible via SMS/email if there is any disruption. Customers are advised to please plan to arrive for flights as scheduled unless otherwise notified by the airline directly,” Tigerair Australia said in a statement to Australian Aviation on Tuesday.
Tigerair Australia, which at December 31 had a fleet of 14 Airbus A320s and three Boeing 737-800s, flies to 13 domestic destinations.
James
says:14 airbuses? I think 13 as vh-vnj is now painted in Virgin colours and started operations with VARA today.
Marc
says:Surely they can work it out.
And stop calling me Shirley.
Mungo Mike
says:And airline management wonder why there is a pilot shortage.
James
says:Best of luck to the Tiger crews.
Hope you guys get a better deal than you’ve been putting up with.
Tom
says:Good Luck Tiger Guys,
The slide to the bottom due to corporate greed continues, there are a lot more issues in the corporate world than the banks.
Tom
says:Good on you tiger pilots! Best of luck and a perfect time to negotiate with the pilot shortage starting to hurt management at all airlines!
Craigy
says:I don’t know the pay rates of short haul pilots in the domestic market. I seem to recall John Borghetti awarding big pay increases at Virgin when he took over to be more in line with QF. I would say that Tiger pay rates are commensurate with the market Tiger operates in ie LCC and any appreciable increase in wages will see an increase in air fares. Predicting the impact on demand would be an interesting activity which I am sure the airline has done.
James
says:Pay rates are only a very small part of their claim, working conditions are a major issue and only those in the industry would understand.
James
says:@ Craigy
It has more to do with conditions etc. They operate the same type of aircraft so as fair as the award sees it they should earn the same pay rate as such. All pilots no doubt appreciate the differences in the airline they fly for (freight, LCC or full fare), but from what I’ve been told these crew are being hammered.
Craigy
says:@ James. If it is conditions, that is one thing. Suggesting that the pay rates of pilots should be the same irrespective of the business is just flawed thinking. You can’t expect a LCC to pay the same pay rates a full service because the business models don’t allow it. A LCC would have to carry more passengers than a full service to meet its salary commitments. The LCC would go out of business pretty quickly
James
says:@ Craigy
I don’t anyone said they need to. As you’re obviously not a pilot you wouldn’t get it.
It’s one thing to be paid slightly less, but being paid bugger all near to them is where there argument lies.
Consider a retail worker, one working at a junk shop and the other at a “high end” place. Retail pay rates would be.
As a pilot, I’m telling you right now, these crew deserve a better deal than they are getting.
Holden
says:@Craigy
So do airfares determine minimum salaries, or should salaries determine minimum airfares?
I understand there are financial and moral positions at polar ends of this spectrum.
Does the LCC model put the cart before the horse?
Craigy
says:@ James @ Holden
For any airline, air fares do have an impact on salaries. It comes down to what the airline can charge to cover the costs of the services they provide and hopefully create a profit. The airfares are the airlines revenue. Basically it all comes down to the business model. I am in no way suggesting they should be paid peanuts or have poor working conditions. All I am suggesting is that the business model drives salary affordability.
Actually James I am a pilot but don’t work for an airline.
James
says:@ Craigy.
Well I am a pilot for an airline. My comment was based on solidarity for the crew and wishing them the best in their negotiations.