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Businesses and unions are offering a hand to Bonza staff left in limbo by the airline’s voluntary administration.
HRM Contracting and Consulting, the largest local recruitment and employment firm on the Sunshine Coast, will provide free assistance to Bonza employees looking to find temporary work, while the Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia (FAAA) has set up an online fundraiser.
Staff have not been paid for the month of April and are unable to claim certain entitlements from the government, as Bonza is still in voluntary administration and has not been liquidated.
HRM founder Sally Desch said stood-down Bonza staff should consider casual and temporary work to keep cash flowing in while flights remain grounded until at least next week.
“We currently have 30 positions we need to fill, and I have no doubt that there will be many Bonza employees that will be ideal for some of these roles,” said Desch.
“The roles include hospitality, administration, management accounting, accounts and IT services, and many of the Bonza staff will have transferrable skills that will make them very attractive candidates for these positions.
“We understand that during this extended stand-down period, employees can take on casual or temporary roles without impacting their entitlements. This is important because many people are living wage to wage, so we need to help find them jobs quickly to ease their financial stress.”
The firm is offering a free information session to Bonza staff in Maroochydore on Thursday to discuss available roles, review CVs and offer financial advice.
“Job loss understandably adds a lot of pressure to people when they have financial commitments but there are things people can do that will help ease that pressure temporarily while they get back on their feet,” said Desch.
“Communicating with your bank is essential during these times and it is important to start those conversations early on so that they can work with you over the coming months until you get back on track, and we have organised a local banking representative to join us tomorrow to provide guidance to people who may be unsure of what to do next.”
The Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia (FAAA) union has also set up an online GoFundMe fundraiser to support Bonza cabin crew members in financial hardship, saying in a statement that Bonza flight attendants “need urgent help”.
“Following Bonza’s entering administration last week, airline staff were stood down only three days before payday to be told they cannot be paid for the previous month,” the union said.
“This has meant that Bonza cabin crew, already living pay cheque to pay cheque under minimum award conditions, now face rent, mortgage repayments, power, gas, and food and other bills that they simply cannot afford.
“Out of a job due to no fault of their own, Bonza cabin crew need your urgent help to get them and their families through this crisis.”
The FAAA says it will manage donated funds and distribute them to crew members who have registered as needing assistance.
“Our plan is to distribute the funds evenly to all cabin crew who have registered their wish to be part of the distribution; to achieve this, we will issue an open invitation for cabin crew to express an interest,” the union said.
“Recipients will be free to utilise funds as they see fit to pay bills, buy groceries or whatever needs they have.”
Major airlines including Virgin Australia and Jetstar last week indicated they would consider Bonza staff for roles.
Bonza’s administrators, Hall Chadwick, have been contacted for comment.
