Network Aviation pilots extend industrial action by another four days across FIFO flights in pay spat with Qantas

Thousands of regional airline passengers and fly-in, fly-out workers face more disruptive flight cancellations as pilots employed by a Qantas subsidiary vow to extend industrial action. More than 200 Network Aviation and QantasLink pilots in WA walked off the job for six days last week, forcing the cancellation of dozens of flights. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots on Tuesday said the pilots were angry with the airline and would strike again on Thursday for four days. It’s the fourth time Network Aviation pilots have taken industrial action over the pay dispute in recent months, amid accusations Qantas is refusing to negotiate and has taken previously agreed terms off the bargaining table. It also said Network Aviation pilots were fed up with being treated as second-class citizens by Qantas and don’t get the same pay conditions as other pilots employed by the airline despite doing the same job. Qantas has refuted the allegations and said it had not walked away and had been actively negotiating with the pilots’ union for 18 months. The airline said it had made three wage offers, including pay increases of more than 25 per cent, plus yearly 3 per cent increases, new allowances and greater roster protections. It said the union supported two of the offers but they were voted down by the pilot group, and the parties were now at an impasse. The union has rejected these assertions and said the 25 per cent offer was only made to some pilots who were being paid below the award rate and the increases most pilots would receive under the proposed deals would not keep up with the inflation rate. Last week’s strike forced the airline to cancel about 25 flights on Wednesday and Thursday, prompting mining companies to use other carriers and restrict travel for their workers. The impact on travellers was less on Friday, with nine flights cancelled and 97 per cent of passengers expected to be rescheduled onto other services on the same day. Most weekend flights were unaffected, according to the airline. Network Aviation pilots also walked off the job over pay negotiations for 24 hours in early October, causing more than 40 flights to and from regional towns and mine sites to be cancelled. The airline has applied to the Fair Work Commission for a hearing to determine whether the parties have reached a stage where an outcome cannot be negotiated. It’s the first step in a long process to break the deadlock that could see the wages arbiter determine a new agreement for the pilots. The union has previously said it wants to resume negotiations with the airline. Network Aviation, which is wholly owned by Qantas, is WA’s premier charter company for the mining industry and operates hundreds of flights a week. More than 90 per cent of its 250-plus pilots are members of the pilots federation. Qantas has been contacted for comment.