The Transport Workers' Union of Australia issued the following news release:
The enormous loss posted by Qantas today is clear proof of the catastrophic failure of the Qantas board, led by Alan Joyce and Leigh Clifford, who have proven themselves to be clueless at everything except for lining there own pockets with 82% wage increases and $2 million dollar bonuses. That's according to Tony Sheldon, National Secretary of the Transport Workers' Union.
Speaking at Sydney Airport today (23.8.12), Tony commented; "Today's announcement by Alan Joyce that Qantas has posted a $245 million loss represents the first time in 17 years that the company has failed to turn a profit. No amount of vilifying workers, marketing gimmicks or clever accounting can obscure this fact."
"This unprecedented loss for the Qantas Group comes after senior management have repeatedly chosen the low road by taking on their own workforce and holding the Australian travelling public to ransom. Qantas senior managements' disastrous lockout of staff last October resulted in 1.2 million hours of employer industrial action. By contrast TWU Qantas members took less than 7 hours of industrial action over a period of 8 months."
The failed ideological agenda at Qantas has benefited no one except for senior management, who awarded themselves pay rises of 82% between 2009 and 2011. Share prices have plummeted during the same period. Qantas has not paid a shareholder dividend since 2008, when Alan Joyce took over as CEO. The travelling public has been treated with contempt and putting peoples names on planes will not change this."
"Senior management must come clean on the future of Qantas International and their continued strategy for Jetstar to cannibalise Qantas. Qantas International now has no new planes on order and is saddled with older, fuel guzzling planes. By contrast, fifteen new fuel-efficient Dreamliner planes will be delivered to Jetstar from next year. It's little wonder that Jetstar is outperforming Qantas when Jetstar is the only arm of the 'two airline strategy' that's receiving any new investment. "
"The much flaunted move from San Francisco, a popular destination for Australian tourists, to Dallas through a partnership with the now bankrupt American Airlines has also been a disaster. Who at Qantas is going to take responsibility for putting the airline further at risk?"
Tony Sheldon concluded; "Today's disastrous results have shown that Alan Joyce, Leigh Clifford and senior management are driving Qantas into the ground. The sooner they go the better for Qantas, for the 35,000 staff, for shareholders and for the Australian travelling public."
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