TSU Advocacy at Jetstar
The TSU recently held an in-person consultation meeting with Jetstar management, covering several important topics:
- Breaks: Shift workers are entitled to a paid meal break of thirty (30) minutes during each shift before completing five (5) hours of continuous work. This meal break is considered as time worked. If operational workload prevents a break, you should notify your supervisor or designated person, if your supervisor requires you to continue to work, overtime rates will be paid until such time that break is taken. This provision is important because it encourages Jetstar to facilitate your break but also compensates you when it's denied.
- Gender Pay Gap: We addressed the pressing issue of the gender pay gap, currently at a staggering 53.5%. We urged Jetstar to take immediate action, such as establishing a training pipeline for women returning from parental leave to accelerate their training updates. The quicker an employee is retrained to resume their pre-parental leave tasks, the sooner they can earn more by being rostered a broader range of tasks and shifts. Jetstar must prioritise not only increasing female leadership but also implementing structural adjustments that benefit women across all roles. It's clear-cut math: a 3% pay increase for male-dominated pilot roles holds greater value than a 3% increase for female-dominated customer service positions.
- Outsourcing Concerns: We expressed concerns about Jetstar's growing reliance on labour hire (non-Jetstar employees working for the company e.g. Star Aviation and Randstad in the ports). We emphasised the importance of job security and that the TSU’s position is for in-house employment opportunities wherever possible. Labour hire may look like it is providing extra assistance but the long-term consequences of relying heavily on labour hire ultimately jeopardises job security by employing workers at lower rates and allocating work to non-Jetstar employees instead of offering overtime to you. This practice not only undermines the stability of the workforce, but also raises questions about fair compensation and employee rights. Therefore, we called on Jetstar to promote stable, secure employment to all of its workers and employ directly where possible.
What should you do about a fatiguing roster?
Submitting an incident report over fatiguing roster patterns is crucial for your safety and well-being. Fatigue can impair your job performance and pose risks to your health and safety. Management should assess the impact of roster patterns on your fatigue levels and make necessary adjustments to ensure a safer work environment. By reporting incidents related to work schedules, you contribute to identifying and mitigating potential hazards. Documenting these incidents helps protect your rights and may lead to improvements in rostering practices.
If you are not already a member, now is the time to join. You can join online here:
https://www.theservicesunion.com.au/tsu/join. If you require any support or additional information, please contact your local TSU delegates or TSU Organiser at:
Jessica Daniels
0487 777 396
TSU Organiser
QLD SNA
Glenn Desmond
0427 975 806
TSU Organiser
QLD SNA