LONDON- Unite, the UK’s leading union, has negotiated a substantial pay raise for 550 Qantas Airways (QF) cabin crew members based at Heathrow Terminal 3.
Workers will receive pay increases ranging from 11 to 18 percent, with the raises retroactively applied to July.
Qantas Cabin Crew Salary Hike
The pay dispute originated in April when workers struggled to manage living costs under a four-year agreement signed in 2022. The original contract locked employees into an annual three percent increase, which failed to keep pace with rising expenses following the pandemic.
Qantas responded to national living wage increases by advancing this year’s pay raise for certain cabin crew grades in April. Seizing this opportunity, Unite reopened pay negotiations midway through the existing pay deal—an unprecedented move that demonstrated the union’s strategic approach.
Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham highlighted the significance of the achievement. “This tremendous pay increase reflects the hard work and dedication of our representatives and members at Qantas,” Graham stated.
She emphasized that the union’s focused strategy on jobs, pay, and working conditions continues to deliver tangible benefits for workers.
Nine Months of Negotiation
Unite union has successfully negotiated significant pay raises for aviation workers after nine months of intensive negotiations. The comprehensive pay deal delivers substantial base pay increases across multiple employee levels:
- Flight attendants and Business Flight Attendants receive a 15 percent base pay increase
- Customer service supervisors will see a 12 percent base pay increase
- Customer service managers will obtain an 8 percent base pay increase
All employee groups will additionally receive a previously agreed three percent increase on both base and variable pay. The negotiated package extends beyond direct salary improvements, including enhanced pension benefits.
Unite secured an accelerated pension contribution increase, moving the implementation forward from 2025. Employer pension contributions will jump from five percent to nine percent. A new salary sacrifice scheme will effectively raise worker compensation to 10 percent, with no additional employee contributions required.
Unite regional officer Lindsey Olliver emphasized the power of collective action, stating, “This pay deal demonstrates how united worker demands can secure significant pay increases.” Olliver directly encouraged aviation workers to join Unite, highlighting the union’s ability to negotiate meaningful compensation improvements.
Overview of Qantas Cabin Crew Salary
We will make a detailed article on Qantas Airways Cabin Crew Salary, but here’s a summary. As of March 2023, Qantas pays the following to its cabin crew working across various network carriers:
For Qantas:
- Qantas Cabin Crew (International Operations): These employees have a pay rate of $56.48 per hour. Key points include that they are covered by the Qantas Cabin Crew Enterprise Agreement, which was recently threatened with termination during the COVID-19 pandemic but remains in place. No new hires have been made since 2008.
- Qantas Cabin Crew (Domestic Operations): These employees have a pay rate of $42.51 per hour. They are considered Qantas Domestic operations and have the original Short Haul Crew Benchmark Conditions, with no new hires since 2008.
For Jetstar:
- Jetstar Domestic Cabin Crew: They have a pay rate of $35.53 per hour. They are direct employees, with no new hires since 2008.
- Jetstar International Cabin Crew: They have a pay rate of $26.39 per hour. They are direct employees, with no new hires, and denied promotional opportunities as management favors offshore and team leader roles, according to the information provided.
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