Qantas pilots make unauthorized in-flight announcements to air industrial grievances

 “This is your captain speaking, and we’re all at work, as we want to fly you safely to your destination. We’re really very good pilots. But we are only being paid up to half a million bucks a year to do it."

“Further, there are some people who fly cheaply on company subsidiaries such as Jetstar, as the pilots are paid cheap wages. But we want to raise their wages and raise your fares.”

“Also, we currently pay around 10 percent fares, but we think this unfair. We want to fly for free.”

“But most of all, we want to ensure that no Indonesians, Filipinos or Indians fly Qantas planes.”

“Please go the pilots' union website to read more about our grievances.”

Or something like that

As of today, in-flight announcements on all Qantas long-haul flights have changed. Instead of reporting on weather conditions and arrival times, Qantas pilots are making unauthorized complaints as part of a concerted union campaign to raise pilot’s wages on budget airlines and ensure that no pilots' work is outsourced to cheaper, foreign labor markets.

Long-haul passengers from Sydney to London will hear the messages twice.

They’re also paying for billboards around the country declaring Qantas jets should be flown by Qantas pilots.

It’s the first protected industrial action the Australian and International Pilots' Association has taken in 45 years.

But the cost cuts continue

Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce, is preparing to unveil a revamp of Qantas international operations on August 24.

He told the Asia Pacific Outlook summit in Sydney this week that would include a closer alliance with international carriers, a focus on the booming Asian market and dropping unprofitable routes.

He said unions were "out of touch and trying to block our use of new business models,” reports News.com.au.

"We all know that change is always tough," he said. "But the competitive challenges we face make major change essential, and our commitment to the change process is absolute."

He has said that jobs would be lost if all pilots received the same rate of pay.

He has also closed retail travel centers in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville –- leaving just one in the Northern Territory; that has affected 150 Qantas employees.

Further, he’s abolishing Qantas’ long-standing policy of getting licensed engineers to do pre-flight maintenance checks, instead hiring A-license engineers.

"We don't repair our cars the same way we did 40 years ago -- we can't repair our planes the same way either,'' Mr. Joyce told the conference.

He said the current policy was among the least efficient, most expensive in the world, and new-generation Boeing and Airbus jets didn’t require this degree of maintenance.

No wonder the engineers are unhappy

Last Friday, the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association rolled out strikes across the nation designed to caused minimal disruption to passengers, in the wake of Tiger Airways being grounded.

Two right-handed engineers –- one in Perth and the other in Melbourne –- used only their left hands for maintenance work, while designated work stoppages took place.

Inside Qantas, employees are becoming nervous as change is in the air.