FAAA cabin crew members at Virgin Australia have applied for a Protected Action ballot to vote on strike action.
The Fair Work Commission has today approved the Ballot of FAAA members.
Virgin cabin crew need a real wage rise following years of wage freezes,and cuts in conditions of employment by the airline.
When Virgin went into voluntary administration, FAAA members helped get Virgin back on their feet, they had pay freezes and lost conditions of employment which impact rest and lead to unsafe conditions in the long term. Virgin regards this as a productivity saving for the company.
As loyal employees for many years they were prepared to sacrifice and rebuild the company and brand of Virgin in good faith.
They were promised during the administration by the new owners of Virgin that when things got better they would be better paid with improved conditions and a reasonable work life balance.
“Cabin crew are worth more” says Teri O’Toole – Federal Secretary of the FAAA, responding to Virgin’s latest bargaining offer.
“Virgin’s latest pay offer doesn’t provide a real wage increases in real time”. “Cabin crew are going backwards with the rise in the cost of living and need a pay increase that recognizes their worth.”
“Virgin needs to show they value their staff and are willing to address the systemic issues that cause, burnout and exhaustion at work”.
“Whilst percentages can look good on paper they are off poverty rates that are bare minimums”.
FAAA members are not looking to recoup what they have already lost in income but they are looking for real increases moving forward.
Fatigue and illness is a real problem at Virgin according to their cabin crew, where unsafe conditions puts staff and passengers at risk.
Cabin crew are responsible for passenger welfare and safety in the air and on the ground and often called on to deal with emergencies, medical conditions and unexpected issues and challenging situations.
Fatigue must be addressed by providing better rostering practices, reducing long shifts and hours and ensure staff have proper breaks and rest time.
“After many months of bargaining and years of going backwards in pay and conditions, our members are fed up and want to be heard – their taking industrial action is always a last resort”.
For enquiries please call Steven Reed – 02 8337 1111