Qantas staff win pay rises

Over 750 Qantas labour-hire cabin crew members will receive pay rises of up to $20,000.

Editor’s note: This story first appeared on HR Leader’s sister brand, Australian Aviation.

The agreements with labour-hire firms Qantas Domestic, Maurice Alexander Management (MAM), and Altara will see their domestic cabin crews receive the same wages as directly-employed Qantas cabin crew, under the Albanese government’s Same Job, Same Pay legislation.

Qantas Domestic cabin crew will see their base pay packets increase by up to $20,000 per year, while MAM and Altara casual employees will earn an extra 32 to 42.5 per cent in hourly pay, excluding allowances.

The Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia (FAAA) welcomed the result and thanked the three companies for working with the union instead of opposing the applications.

“This result demonstrates what can be achieved when companies like Qantas sit down and work with their employees. Qantas has shown that big business can lead the way and do things better, and we welcome the change under Vanessa Hudson’s leadership,” Teri O’Toole, national secretary of the FAAA, said.

“Same Job Same Pay is a testament to the hard work of the Albanese Labor government and key independents who supported fairness and equity in the workplace.

“This legislation has changed the lives of working cabin crew, particularly those employed by the Qantas Group. Some of these crew will no longer need three jobs to make ends meet and put a roof over the heads of their families.”

Allowances will increase starting next month, with full base pay increases coming into effect on 14 July for Qantas Domestic and 11 August for MAM and Altara. Employees at all three firms will be back paid to November last year.

According to Qantas, the gross impact of Same Job Same Pay, as well as changes to long-haul cabin crew agreements, will be approximately $65 million in the 2025 financial year, with plans to offset this through cost savings and revenue programs.

“This is another important step following our announcement in August 2024 that we would support the FAAA’s three Same Job Same Pay applications for our short-haul cabin crew,” a spokesperson said.

“Our cabin crew deliver fantastic service to our customers, and we’re committed to meeting the requirements of the legislation while ensuring that our business is sustainable for the long term.”

The news follows successful Same Job Same Pay negotiations for around 1,500 Jetstar labour-hire workers in December.

Under the in-principle agreement, cabin crew at Altara and Team Jetstar who work with directly hired crew will see an average annual pay increase of $7,128 and $7,025, respectively, with Altara workers to also be paid for training and given direct employment opportunities at the airline.