Qantas CEO sees no quick resolution to labour dispute

Qantas Airways, which has been forced to ground planes and cut flights as a result of labour strikes in Australia, sees no quick resolution to the dispute with the unions, Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said. Workers from the Sydney-based airline's engineering, long-haul pilot and ground crew unions have held strikes, used in-flight address systems to criticise Qantas and banned overtime as they seek higher pay and job security clauses in contracts. The Australian and International Pilots Association said yesterday Qantas management halted talks with the union. "These three unions are sticking by unrealistic, outdated demands that are going to be damaging to the future of the company," Joyce said in an interview on Sky News yesterday. "We don't see this getting better anytime soon. If anything, this is getting worse." Qantas plans to ground five aircraft starting today and reduce almost 400 domestic flights for the next month as bans on overtime by engineers caused a maintenance backlog, the country's biggest carrier said on Saturday. Grounded Disruptions will have affected more than 60,000 passengers and more aircraft may be grounded if disputes continue in the coming week, Joyce said. The union action comes amid Joyce's plans to establish new carriers in Southeast Asia and Japan to get more Chinese travellers as he seeks to turn around A$200 million (Dh760 million) in annual losses from international operations. "This union action is an attempt to stop us making that change," Joyce said.