Qantas Defends Board Bonus Promise after Union Criticism

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Worker’s unions have criticised the Australian airline for offering millions in bonuses for executives amid pressure from frontline staff.

As reported by Nine News on Sunday, it was revealed that Qantas board members will potentially be rewarded more than $4 million dollars in stock, should business performance targets be met, on August 2023.

Transport Union Workers National Secretary Michael Kaine told Nine News that the offered bonuses “rubs salt into the deep wounds inflicted upon illegally sacked workers”.

Qantas Say Workers are Getting a Fair Deal

A spokesperson for Qantas has refuted these claims made by the union that font line staff haven’t been properly compensated for their work during the pandemic.

“These unions know full well we want everyone who contributes to our recovery to share in the success when the time is right,” a spokesperson provided in a statement to Travel Radar.

“All of our frontline team members, including cabin crew and engineers, are in line to receive more than $170 million in bonuses if certain conditions are met, which is in addition to $300 million in bonuses paid pre-pandemic.”

Union calls Qantas Offer ‘Suppression Tactics’

However, Mr Kaine and the Transport Workers Union have previously voiced their displeasure with the offering for front-line workers, labelling it ‘a bribe’ in a statement released in June.

“This is not a ‘thank you’ payment, it’s more like a bribe. The strings attached to this sham payment are just more wage suppression tactics Qantas has become accustomed to under the 15-year Joyce regime,” wrote Mr Kaine.

“All workers, especially those illegally sacked by Qantas management, are owed this payment and far more. Outsourced workers were already ripped off a 2019 bogus bonus designed to pressure workers into accepting shoddy deals to suppress wages and conditions.”

Qantas has recently been facing the pressures of delayed flights and cancellations with 60 per cent of flights in May arriving and departing on time while 7% were cancelled entirely. They have said that a spike in COVID cases among crew members and staff is to blame.

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