Airline workers set to receive more wage support
19.Mar.2021
Qantas has revealed an Australian government plan to give more than 8000 airline employees affected by the closure of international borders a $A500 a week “direct support payment”.
The Australian newspaper reported that Qantas boss Alan Joyce told an employee “town hall” meeting that the allowance was the “centerpiece” of the government’s $A1.2 billion tourism and aviation support package.
The newspaper said the package would continue until borders re-opened, expected to be sometime in October, and suggested up to 8600 Qantas and Virgin Australia employees could be beneficiaries.
Eligibility would be restricted to Australian-based employees stood down because of the impact of border closures on international flying.
Mr McCormack said at the time that the package would include support to help Australia’s international passenger airlines maintain more than 8000 core international aviation jobs.
The Australian newspaper reported that Qantas boss Alan Joyce told an employee “town hall” meeting that the allowance was the “centerpiece” of the government’s $A1.2 billion tourism and aviation support package.
The newspaper said the package would continue until borders re-opened, expected to be sometime in October, and suggested up to 8600 Qantas and Virgin Australia employees could be beneficiaries.
Eligibility would be restricted to Australian-based employees stood down because of the impact of border closures on international flying.
Mr McCormack said at the time that the package would include support to help Australia’s international passenger airlines maintain more than 8000 core international aviation jobs.
Other measures included:
- Support for regular passenger airports to meet their domestic security screening costs
- A new Aviation Services Assistance Support Program to help ground-handling companies meet the costs of mandatory training, certification and accreditation to ensure they maintain their workforces so they can stand them back up when the market expands again.
- The reinstatement of domestic aviation security screening cost rebates for more than 50 regular passenger airports
Mr McCormack said on Thursday that the $500 per week measure was not the same as JobKeeper but was uniquely targeted to ready the aviation industry for take-off once international borders re-opened.
