Jetstar Denies Violating Australian Workplace Regulations
Jetstar officials insisted on Tuesday that it violated no Australian laws in contracting pilots that were meant in the first place to be deployed outside of Australia.
The Qantas subsidiary has been charged before the Federal Court by the Fair Work Ombudsman of circumventing the Australian workplace regulations by training and hiring six cadet pilots under New Zealand contracts.
The budget carrier, however, argued that the trainee pilots have been engaged by the company as employees for its New Zealand operations, with provisions that they could be transferred to Australia once they achieve credentials that meet Australian standards.
As mandated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), the cadet pilot were subjected for at least a year training in Australia to acquire the requisite experience under the guidance of senior flyers, Jetstar said.
"Jetstar takes its responsibilities as an employer very seriously and adheres to the different workplace regulations in each of the jurisdictions it operates in," the company told The Australian on Tuesday.
"To do so can expose the companies to potential penalties and liabilities, particularly if those arrangements persist for a period of time and the terms and conditions their employees are engaged under are less than provided for by Australian law," Jetstar added.
The Ombudsman, however, is adamant on its position that the six pilots should have been recruited by Jetstar under Australian term if indeed the long-term plan was to eventually deploy them in the country.
"Multinational companies with wholly or partly owned overseas enterprises need to exercise caution and care if they engage workers under those entities and then have them work in Australia," the Ombudsman said in a statement.
Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) spokesman Captain Barry Jackson welcomed the filing of the case against Jetstar, which he said should deter airlines from employing techniques that not only give workers the raw end of the deal but also take away jobs that Australians should exclusively hold.
"It seems to be gathering momentum and it's taking away jobs that should be rightly held by Australians," Mr Jackson told ABC on Tuesday.
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon lauded the Ombudsman for taking action against company measures that increasingly "continue to offshore, to rely more and more on foreign-based crew."
The case, Mr Xenophon said, should enlighten everyone on the "fundamental and deep issues about the future of the Qantas group strategy into Asia."
The Federal Court will start hearing the case later this month, which the Ombudsman said would serve as only initial action against the carrier and possibly the aviation industry, adding that intends to dig deeper on allegations that Australian cabin crews were currently underpaid.
If proven guilty, Jetstar faces fines of up to $33,000 for each count of violation, according to The Australian.