Qantas Airways Strike Announcement

(Reuters) – Australia's flag carrier Qantas Airways stated on Friday that it does not anticipate any impact on customers from a planned strike by some of its engineering work groups ahead of the annual general meeting scheduled for later that day.

The Qantas Engineers' Alliance, which includes the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), The Australian Workers' Union, and the Electrical Trades Union, has been striking since late September. They are demanding a 5% annual pay rise and a 15% payment in the first year.

According to the Qantas Engineers' Alliance, workers believe that their "calls for fair pay have been ignored."

Steve Murphy, AMWU National Secretary, stated, "The workers who deliver Qantas’ world-class safety record have fallen off their radar. Vanessa Hudson (NYSE:HUD) needs to show that she can land a fair deal that gets these workers back on the job and the planes safely back into the air."

A Qantas spokesperson mentioned that the airline had held a number of meetings with the unions before the industrial action, aiming for an agreement that includes pay rises and other benefits. "We want to continue to engage with them to find a way forward, but they have chosen to take action," the spokesperson explained.