Flights cancelled from Perth Airport as Network Aviation pilots spark new round of strikes

Pilots working for Qantas’ WA charter operation have doubled down on strikes designed to throw the travel plans of WA’s enormous fly-in, fly-out workforce into chaos by adding another three days of disruption to protected action. Seventeen Qantas flights from Perth Airport were cancelled on Wednesday morning after pilots working for Network Aviation again walked off the job amid an increasingly bitter pay dispute. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots initially planned 72 hours of strike action but said that would now be extended to six days, with pilots not due to return to work until Tuesday, February 20. It follows strike action taken over 24 hours last Thursday. AFAP senior industrial officer Chris Aikens said Qantas was treating the workforce with utter “disdain” and had reneged on terms and conditions it had already agreed to in previous negotiations. “We are dealing with an employer who steadfastly refuses to provide terms and conditions of employment enjoyed by other Qantas Group pilots across the country to Network pilots in WA,” Mr Aikens said. “We are seeing Qantas at its worst showing total disdain for its pilots and the travelling public.” Premier Roger Cook on Tuesday said the strikes would have repercussions for the nation’s economy, and urged Qantas and the union to reach a deal. Pilots are fighting to bring Qantas bosses to the table and meet demands for significant pay rises and work perks they say other pilots in the group enjoy. The AFAP, which represents most of the pilots, said industrial action would continue, and accused the airline of taking already-agreed items off the bargaining table. Qantas has given three Boeing 737s from the domestic fleet to Network Aviation, and charter aircraft from other airlines, to move passengers around the State. It said 80 per cent of passengers would be able to travel on the same day but about 25 return services had been cancelled. “The strike action over the next few days is clearly aimed directly at the Western Australian economy by targeting flying to and from mine sites across the State,” Network Aviation chief operating officer Trevor Worgan said. “We are pulling out all stops to help get most customers to their destination on the same day, whether that’s to see family and friends or get to and from a mine site. “We’ve also put in place longer-term contingency plans to protect our customers should the union persist with their strike action.” Qantas had offered the pilots a 25 per cent pay increase, and then 3 per cent rises year-on-year, along with better rostering protections. Network Aviation pilots usually work a roster from Tuesday to Thursday, and typically fly fewer hours than mainline domestic operation or QantasLink pilots. The pay dispute has been ongoing for 18 months and Qantas has put forward an intractable bargaining application to the Fair Work Commission to try to strike a deal. Mr Aikens said the union had been negotiating in good faith. “Qantas can readily resolve this by recognising that Network pilots are only seeking to achieve terms and conditions of employment that are commonplace amongst the Qantas pilots and the airline industry overall,” he said.