An industrial dispute between Qantas and the the airline’s 1,200 flight attendants may cause delays around Christmas after 99 percent of the airline’s attendants voted in favour of a 24-hour strike if the carrier does not agree with a better deal.
The union has said it would try to limit the impact on Australian travellers by taking a measured approach to the strike, especially over the upcoming Christmas holiday peak.
It comes after Qantas announced it expected to make $150 million (US$99.6 million) more than it previously forecast for the current half-year thanks to strong travel demand.
Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia (FAAA) said despite the increased travel demand and profits, Qantas asked its loyal employees to take two-year wage freezes and sub-inflation pay rises while demanding “massive productivity gains.”…