ASU and ALAEA members at Emirates have told us that the proposed Agreement that was rejected by almost 75% of employees has to be improved and that the Fair Work Commission (FWC) should be asked to assist in getting a good EBA for employees. As a result the ASU/ALAEA will be at the Fair Work Commission (FWC) on Thursday 14 August (the first suitable date) with the intention of reaching a resolution to the bargaining for the new agreement.
How can the FWC help?
The FWC is experienced in helping to resolve differences between employers and employees in enterprise bargaining. The FWC is the independent Government Tribunal for employees and employers. Among its duties is to assist with negotiating EBAs but the FWC also does other things like setting the minimum wages and conditions for awards and resolving workplace disputes. So it has a good understanding of a fair and reasonable deal for employees and employers.
The ASU/ALAEA want to have a new Agreement in place as soon as possible and we believe the FWC can use its experience to aid the parties in reaching a sensible Agreement. The ASU/ALAEA have asked for the Commissioner to conciliate, so any outcome will ultimately be determined by the vote of employees. The FWC will not impose an Agreement on employees, but it will help the negotiations to get an EBA.
What is a fair deal for Emirates employees?
Your ASU/ ALAEA representatives have consistently said to Emirates that the Unions can recommend a proposal that includes:
- 3 year EBA – expires 30/12/17;
- 3% pa – 1/1/14, 1/1/15, 1/1/16;
- Pay grades all increased by 3%;
- Pay rise payable to all those over max level for grade;
- Paid breaks clause included;
- Increase redundancy pay or give commitment to job security for life of agreement;
- Include Mascot allowance;
- Fix duty travel time; and
- Delete split shifts clause 12.5.
As long as back pay to 1 January 2014 is made the ASU/ALAEA can recommend this agreement to members. With inflation running at 3% per annum anything less than a guaranteed 3% pay increases is not a reasonable and fair outcome for hardworking employees.
The Emirates Group's own Annual Report for 2013-14 boasts about its 26th consecutive year of profitable operations. It states that Profit attributable to the Owner stood at AED 3.3 billion, a substantial 42.5% increase over last year's profit of AED 2.3 billion. Further its says that costs grew at a slower pace than the expansion in revenue, that lower unit costs and a stable yield on an expanded capacity were the main drivers for the growth in profitability.
The question for Emirates employees in Australia is that if a stand for a fair deal is not made now, then when in future negotiations will Emirates treat your claims fairly?
What happens next?
The ASU/ALAEA representatives are going to the FWC on the 14th August to reach an outcome. The ASU/ALAEA negotiators have clear direction from members of what members want. Likewise if Emirates respect the role of the FWC, let alone their employees, then Emirates negotiators will have the authority to be able to reach a deal on the day.
Further information?
For more information, please get in touch with your local contact (download the full bulletin below for more details).
Emirates Bulletin, 7 August 2014