Qantas strike cancelled following death threats to CEO
A Qantas strike tomorrow, which would have caused 17 flight cancellations and delayed 29 more services, has been called off.
The Transport Workers Union of Australia, which represents baggage handlers and ground staff, confirmed the stoppages on Friday would not go ahead. A simultaneous strike by Qantas engineers has also been called off.
But the TWU warned that staff would take industrial action next Thursday unless it was able to reach agreement with the airline on Wednesday in its long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
The union described cancelling the flights as "a significant gesture of good faith", adding that it was looking for a firm offer from Qantas next week.
Earlier it was revealed that the dispute between management and staff has turned sinister, with death threats issued to the airline's Irish-born chief executive Alan Joyce.
"We are seeing threats in the workplace," said Qantas spokeswoman Olivia Wirth. "They're personally attacking management, it's one of those ways you can try and influence the outcomes of the industrial dispute – it's very unhelpful, it can be hurtful and we're hoping things can calm down a bit," she said.
Senior staff at Qantas have had their car windows smashed and homes damaged after refusing to strike, and Joyce received an explicit death threat, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Both the Transport Workers Union and the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association have denied being behind the threats.
Joyce does not believe union officials are responsible for the death threat, said the paper, but he wants the tone of pay and productivity negotiations needs to "to be more conciliatory and less aggressive’’.
The airline has since reached a three-year deal with the Flight Attendants Association of Australia, which represents short-haul cabin crew. The deal, which includes a pay rise of 3% a year plus an annual lump sum payment of $500 will go to the vote at the end of the month.
Meanwhile Qantas has placed its biggest-ever aircraft order of 110 Airbus A320s to support its expansion of low-cost and premium flights in Asia.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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