AIPA responds to the 2018 Record Bonus

Dear Members,
 
Following my Altitude Magazine Article on Friday, we did not have to wait long to see Qantas management’s intentions around rewarding employees for their efforts to achieve yet another record result. The announcement of the “2018 Record Result Bonus” was disappointing in that it was more about attempting to influence behaviour during enterprise bargaining, than rewarding employees for their efforts as its title suggests.
 
As pilots struggle to cover the failure to get pilot numbers right, Qantas’ answer on how they value this effort is astonishing. The fact the bonus is not payable till after certification of the next Enterprise Agreement means pilots whose efforts contributed to the bonus but leave prior to this time, will not receive the bonus. In other words, there is no connection between your efforts in achieving the “Record Result” and the bonus.
 
Member feedback on this announcement has been universally condemning and the message that it should not sidetrack nor influence the current round of bargaining has been clearly articulated. AIPA has examined the many suggestions offered on how to send the message to Qantas that the bonus would not influence members’ decisions during bargaining; however, these proved impractical given the way the bonus has been structured.
 
AIPA will not allow the “2018 Record Result Bonus” to be a distraction from the issues you have expressed to AIPA that need to be addressed in bargaining.
 
I attended an ACTU Meeting with other Qantas Unions this morning and the one clear message was that Qantas has got this very wrong. Due to the timing of Agreements, there is a disparity between some employees who will not be entitled to this bonus for another 3 years, while those not covered by an EA will be paid next month.

The warning that “if one or more employees engage in any form of conduct that harms the Qantas Group” then “all employees in the relevant workgroup will lose eligibility for the Bonus” with no definition of what constitutes harm, is a threat of the broadest terms and a low point for Qantas Industrial Relations in my 32 years at Qantas.
 
In AIPA’s view, any bonus that recognises hard work in delivering a record result should apply equally to all employees. Anything else is disingenuous.

HOW TO TREAT YOUR STAFF: Air New Zealand recently announced its second highest ever profit with bonuses for staff.
 
 
Murray Butt
President