How will Kazamias persuade them to accept the two-year
wage freeze, when only two months ago they rejected his proposed two-year suspension of CoLA, and he backed down immediately, reducing it to six months?
The Australian Workers Union (AWU), which represents the workers, said that it had been engaged in two days of talks at the Industrial Relations Commission to try and reach an agreement on a pay rise for maintenance workers, but that negotiations broke down because Qantas insists on implementing an 18-month
wage freeze, The Associated Press reported.
From Monday, union bosses have been defiantly stating that they would never accept a
wage freeze and that they would take 'dynamic measures' in protest against the government plans.
The AMWU and AWU have rejected the airline's proposal for a 12-18 month
wage freeze and an incentive payment for all staff, whereas all other unions, which represent 91% of the airline's total work force, have approved the proposal in principle, Qantas said.
A
wage freeze is a real cut in living standards - and the small concession for the low paid is still less than inflation.
CYNIKA president Andreas Pierides said the proposal included a wage increase of six per cent, which is aimed at making up salary cuts staff endured since 2004 when a restructuring plan by the company instituted a
wage freeze.
Maintenance unions in Australia continued talks with Qantas Airways on 1 November over plans to implement a
wage freeze for 18 months.
This morning, we reiterated our final offer, asking only a one-year
wage freeze in exchange for a signed contract.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "While many workers have agreed modest or even zero increases in pay to save jobs, a generalised
wage freeze will make the downturn worse, not better.
Qantas, an Australian carrier, has unveiled a plan to introduce an 18-month
wage freeze in return for its employees accepting a sliding-scale profit share scheme.
Employees also get a three per cent pay rise this year but face a
wage freeze next year.
The final contract offer includes a first-year
wage freeze and 2.
