Creating an early scenario of bargaining before formal negotiations begin in the second quarter of this year, Australia's Transport Workers' Union is seeking an assurance from the management of Qantas Airlines for job security.

Transport Workers' Union (TWU) national secretary Tony Sheldon said Qantas employees including refuellers, caterers, cleaners, baggage and transport staff are prepared to take industrial action if the airline outsource some of the jobs overseas hampering the standards set by the Australian aviation industry.

''We've said to Qantas that there are 9000 members of the Transport Workers' Union, and workers right across this industry, who expect the company to negotiate,'' he said today quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.

''And the simple answer has been they (Qantas) are not prepared to negotiate on job security, on safety for the Australian public.

''If that's an issue they won't negotiate on to improve ... then I can see the workforce only taking one step - which Qantas is aware - and that is industrial action.''

Qantas workers want a 4 percent pay increase with additional superannuation payments, in line with other transport companies including Linfox, Toll and Australian Air Express.

The Herald also reported that Qantas is not yet ready to negotiate with the workers' group as this is originally scheduled in July.

Qantas said that the company is still reeling from the impact of high petroleum prices compounded by the low tourism demand due to natural disasters in Japan, New Zealand, and in Australia itself.

Qantas's subsidiary Jetstar earlier today announced that it will cut down daily flights to Tokyo as demand dropped in the last 12 days since the devastating 8.9-magnitude quake.