That's what the ASU National Negotiating Team told the company at the last Qantas EBA 7 meeting held in Sydney on 21 July 2004 as we provided information about our claims to help Qantas employees achieve a better balance between life and work.

At this meeting we discussed the following ASU claims:

• The ability to use all accumulated sick leave as carers leave
• Test case leave standards for casuals and for bereavement leave
• 14 weeks paid parental leave for the principal carer and 2 weeks for secondary carer
• Buying additional annual leave for reduced salary
• The Jetstar staff travel policy
• A fairer staff travel policy

The company representatives listened but did not formally respond to our claims.

What we said

Use of accumulated sick leave as carers leave

Currently the Award only allows 5 days of sick leave per year to be used as carers leave. A recent test case agreement will provide that Federal Awards, like our Award, can increase carers leave to 10 days of sick leave per year. We believe that all sick leave should be able to be accessed as carers leave.

We reminded the company that in the NSW State Industrial Relations System all sick leave can be used as carers leave. It is also significant that ASU covered staff in Eastern Australia Airlines and Jetstar can use all their sick leave as carers leave.

Test case standards for bereavement leave and casuals

The test case agreement also provides inclusion of an entitlement to 2 days unpaid carers leave for casuals and also a change in the general entitlement to bereavement leave.

Currently only 3 days bereavement leave per year is available and it is taken out of sick leave. The test case agreement provides a separate entitlement to 3 days on each occasion of a death of an immediate family member.

It will also create the ability to access unpaid bereavement leave. The test case may not be finalised until early 2005, our claim is to have these rights included in the Award this year.

14 weeks paid parental leave

We want to recognise the changing nature of families and that sometimes mothers return to work after the birth and fathers stay at home caring for children.

Building on our EBA 6 entitlements let's recognise this possibility by creating a right to paid leave for the primary and secondary carer regardless of sex and providing 14 weeks paid leave for the primary carer and 2 weeks leave for the secondary carer. We also want to see these rights extended to adoption leave.

Purchase of additional annual leave

We tabled a proposal to buy additional annual leave. Such a scheme allows an employee to have 4 weeks leave without pay approved but rather than lose the 4 weeks pay in one period, the salary impact is spread over the rest of the year.

We identified at least 120 EBAs in other companies where such a scheme has been implemented. It allows staff who want extra leave to travel, study or fulfil family responsibilities to do so.

Jetstar staff travel policy

We want the Jetstar staff travel policy to be consistent with the Qantas policy. The significant difference between the Qantas and Jetstar staff travel policies has seen the benefits to Qantas staff diminish significantly, thus reducing the overall salary package to staff.

Jetstar is the only carrier to some holiday destinations so conditions like the no refund policy, no access to loads, limited call centre function and no internet access and the higher cost of Jetstar tickets effects all staff travel.

Not surprisingly significant hardship is being experienced in Tasmania where over 400 staff are employed in telephone sales, at the airports and in the travel centre and where Jetstar is now the major carrier.

While everyone understands that staff travel does not guarantee a seat, the additional conditions on Jetstar and the unavailability of Qantas seats out of Tasmania have seen many Qantas staff fly Virgin Blue - so much so that the Virgin Blue cabin greeting now welcomes Qantas staff travelling on the airline! Staff travel policy

Previously Qantas had a regular joint unions staff travel committee to iron out anomalies. This has not been convened for some years yet the company has agreed to change duty travel entitlements for other staff like flight attendants which has impacted on ASU covered staff travel entitlements. We want the committee reinstated to address problems and review the equity of staff travel.

The company claims

The company also provided us with their detailed claims.

Part time employees

"More flexibility" for part time hours by changing how overtime is allocated and eliminating the current requirement that overtime hours are counted for the purpose of the cap and conversions to full time.

Fixed term employees

Removal of the need to agree with employees and the ASU about the employment of fixed term employees including how many are employed and for how long.

The company proposed to set criteria for engagement which is:

• Replacement of employees who are on leave, workers compensation and secondment
• Operational and seasonal peaks
• Special events
• Projects with a defined term

Casual employees

Eliminate the need to agree with the ASU on the circumstances when casuals can be engaged and replace this with the following criteria for engagement:

• Coverage of unplanned absences
• Coverage of leave
• Short term and seasonal peaks

Buyout RDOs

The company is proposing to allow buyouts of RDOs in areas by gaining staff agreement.

Perth - 12 hour break

Change the break requirements from 12 hours to 10 hours.

We have not responded to any of these claims and will discuss these further at our next negotiation meeting and then report back to meetings of members.

EBA consolidation exercise

In EBA 6 (Clause A6) we agreed to negotiate a document consolidating all of the EBAs. No discussions occurred but we have agreed to meet with company representatives to try and achieve this aim during these EBA 7 negotiations.

The benefit of achieving a consolidated EBA 7 is that it will be much easier for everyone to understand what it contains without having to refer back to at least 7 different EBAs.

It is not our aim to change the meaning of what has been agreed in the past, we are not so sure that the company shares this view though! The first meeting is on 30 July 2004 so watch out for more details.

Faxback Request

In Bulletin 5 we requested faxback stories about the issue of access to sick leave, carers leave and leave without pay.

There is still time to faxback your story as our next meeting date has changed, we need your story by 1 August 2004.

Next Meetings

EBA 7 Meetings - 3 August, 10 August and 17 August 2004.