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Qantas cuts still unclear

Meeting with unions fails to shed light on departments hardest hit by job cuts.
By · 19 Dec 2013
By ·
19 Dec 2013
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Unions say they are still in the dark as to where the latest rounds of Qantas job cuts will come from.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce and other senior executives met with several unions at is Sydney headquarters on Wednesday.

Following the talks, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary Dave Oliver said he couldn't get any clarification as to who would be affected by the airline's plan to axe at least 1000 jobs.

But he said the ACTU was pleased Qantas had given a commitment to consult on the cuts.

"We'll be holding Qantas to that commitment and ensuring that every reasonable option is explored to reduce any job losses across the whole Qantas group," he said in a statement after the meet.

A Qantas spokesman said the airline "would consult as was required under the agreements with each union but had not agreed to further consultation".

Transport Workers Union National Secretary Tony Sheldon said the lack of information as to where the cuts would come from would hurt employees over the holiday break.

"Without information on the cuts, all 30,000 Qantas Group staff would spend Christmas in fear that their jobs might be the ones to go," Mr Sheldon said in a statement.

"That's not the way to treat any workforce, particularly as they and their families enter the Christmas period."

But Mr Joyce said while it was "understandable" unions sought commitments on jobs, the business was looking at all options.

"With an all-options structural review of the business underway, it would be disingenuous for us to rule anything in or out," he said in a statement.

"We can say that Qantas will always have the bulk of its operations here in Australia, and that any actions we take are ultimately about protecting as many Australian jobs as we can by making Qantas stronger."

The airline used the meet to highlight the "extreme challenges" it faces, Mr Joyce said.

It comes after Qantas announced earlier this month that it would be undergoing a three-year $2 billion cost reduction program including a reduction of at least 1000 jobs and a company-wide structural review.

Mr Joyce said he made it clear in the meet that the changes as a result of the cost reduction program were "non-negotiables".

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