School holiday strikes for Qantas

Qantas engineers to strike next week

Qantas has just confirmed a notification by the Australian LIcenced Aircraft Engineers Association that its members will take industrial action next week, as part of their ongoing dispute with the carrier over pay and conditions.

The action will include rolling two hour stoppages in Melbourne next Mon, as well as a ban on overtime for all QF licensed engineers for the foreseeable future.

QF Group Executive Operations, Lyell Strambi, said the carrier was "currently assessing our contingency plans to minimise the disruptions to our customers".

He said union leaders had "shown their true colours by calling industrial action over the school holidays and then making a blatantly cynical offer for Qantas licensed engineers who are on strike to return to work for four times their normal pay.

"This reckless action comes on the day that Qantas normal flight operations have resumed and Qantas passengers are finally getting to their destinations following the disruptions caused by the volcanic ash from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile," Strambi added.

Qantas is calling on the union to stop threatening to disrupt Qantas passengers and take part in a Fair Work Australia mediation tomorrow "to negotiate a realistic outcome".

More details in tomorrow's Travel Daily.