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Qantas has voiced concerns that the Australia Labor Party (ALP) is pushing ahead with a proposal to abolish Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs).
"Companies within the Qantas Group operate in a highly competitive aviation industry and need the flexibility that AWAs offer," said Qantas personnel chief Kevin Brown in a statement.
"We need flexibility to compete with overseas carriers and we need to ensure that all our costs, including our labour costs, are competitive. The use of AWAs is integral to our growth strategy and in no way diminishes our track record as a responsible employer."
An Australian Workplace Agreement is an individual written agreement between an employer and employees paid more than the minimum wage set by the Australian Fair Pay Commission.
The opposition ALP rejects industrial relations reforms by the ruling Liberal National Coalition government which took effect in March 2006, which include increasing the maximum agreement duration of AWA from three years to five.
"Our AWAs provide improved recruitment flexibility and are a natural platform for our business to grow while providing excellent levels of remuneration for our skilled workforce in these highly sought after roles," said Alan Joyce, CEO of Jetstar, part of the Qantas group.
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