RAAF plane engineers preventing for a pay enhance to carry them as much as trade averages say they’ve as a substitute been provided an additional pair of pants.
Union officers say Airbus Asia Pacific – which contracts the engineers to the Richmond RAAF base in outer Sydney – has been stonewalling since negotiations started eight months in the past.
The present proposed settlement for the 100 engineers, who’re specifically educated at sustaining C-130J-30 Hercules airlifters, guarantees to extend their clothes allowance from three pairs of trousers or shorts to 4, plus a $20 enhance (to $180) within the quantity they will reimburse on self-purchased metal capped security boots.
AWU NSW Branch Secretary Tony Callinan stated the provide was “laughable”.
“The CEO of Airbus (Guillaume Faury) pockets about $5.05m annually and King Gee work pants go for $55 at Lowes, that’s 100,000 pairs of pants,” he stated.
“I’ve never seen a company spend eight months stonewalling in negotiations and the only concession they make is a pair of pants.”
Mr Callinan stated it was “inappropriate” for private protecting clothes and tools for use to offset a “wage outcome during enterprise agreement negotiations”.
“Every reputable employer in the country provides those to their employees, as required by the Work Health and Safety Act,” he stated.
“It’s more about respecting the work that these people do. They’re highly trained and their colleagues in other states get paid better wages and conditions.
“If something goes wrong in mid-air, there are significant consequences and these guys are accountable for the work they do.”
On Thursday, Richmond RAAF base engineers held a stop-work protest. Previous stoppages have resulted in engineers being locked out of their office as soon as industrial motion concluded, with delegates and members annoyed that key determination makers weren’t current.
“Inflation is at 7 per cent. We’ve seen cost-of-living skyrocket, we’ve seen interest rates go through the roof with another rise to 3.85 per cent this week,” Mr Callinan stated.
“A company is kidding themselves if they think workers will accept 2.5 per cent. It’s just not enough.”
An Airbus Asia Pacific spokesperson confirmed negotiations are ongoing,
“We are engaged in discussions with our employees in Richmond, and are working with them in an effort to achieve a resolution that is positive and fair,” they stated.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
