That's what the ASU representatives who attended Geoff Dixon's meeting with Qantas Union's on 24 June 2004 told Qantas CEO and the Senior Management was lacking in Qantas.

We told them that as the company expands, spends more money, cost cuts and works staff harder than ever, common respect for staff at work and their concerns about how work fits in with lives was being ignored.

Over the last 18 months ASU delegates and officials have received disturbing reports from members about a lack of respect for staff that has been creeping into Qantas which has manifested itself in a range of ways that effects how hardworking loyal staff are dealt with at the workplace level.

Whether it is the denial of leave without pay when you want it not just when Qantas wants it, the refusal to give staff coats for winter, forcing part timers to choose between their children or their job, the continual payroll problems or even the refusal to buy a toaster for a staff room, we told Geoff Dixon these and many other incidents were symptoms of a company who lacked respect for frontline staff and who had forgotten that without great staff, Qantas could not be a great airline.

Geoff Dixon seemed to realise that a lack of respect for staff cannot go on and on the spot at the meeting he promised that a forum would be convened to deal with the issues of improving consultation and how staff are dealt with. Our aim will be to restore the respect - we hope that this promise is followed through and we will keep you posted on the results.

What else did we learn?

The other great news for ASU members is that Qantas has decided not to offshore the Telephone Sales centres in Hobart, Brisbane or Melbourne.

It appears the potential of offshoring to India has been examined for the past 4 months - unbeknown to your union or the delegates - in fact there have been denials of such an exercise. Qantas has decided that despite savings they will not offshore at this time.

This is good news as we know that these call centres and staff are some of the best in Australia. Ominously though Qantas signalled a need to make the centres "more efficient" and we got no indication of what this means. We now need to make sure these promises not to outsource/offshore are in the EBA so they are legally enforceable.

The no offshoring promise was limited to Telephone Sales - cost exercises for QBT and Qantas Holidays we are told have not been carried our yet. We have asked for clarification of the proposals for these areas.

Geoff Dixon said Qantas reserved the right to look at all options for outsourcing and offshoring and the company may try and accelerate change. This was said before the issues of consultation and respect were raised so we look forward to seeing how these two aims can be achieved.

Engineering

No decision has been made on who will be doing Jetstar maintenance. Qantas it was said has a commitment to engineering in Australia and will look at how savings can be made. No decisions have been made on offshoring and outsourcing.

Airports

Geoff Dixon said Airports Management are examining ground handling for third parties and how to make this more cost effective - apparently they will come to the ASU soon about this - we have asked Grant Fenn, Head of Airports to convene a meeting with airport delegates about the situation.

We again have asked whether competitive tendering is to continue - there is no clear answer to this, nor would we expect competitive tendering to be ruled out when we are about to start EBA negotiations. The company needs to have a stick like competitive tendering to beat us with.

What else?

Once again Geoff Dixon says that Jetstar is not a replacement airline for Qantas Domestic - Qantas he says wants to grow the domestic business and protect the company's 65% market share domestically.

There was also discussion about the developments in Asia, New Zealand and the withdrawal from another European route as part of the Qantas strategy to concentrate on this region.

From the various comments, we believe that it that Qantas is on track for significant profits this year - although clearly nothing was given away on this score.

Finally ASU representative and National Airlines Division President, Terry Heinemann from Qantas Brisbane Airport asked Geoff Dixon how the company rates the success of the centralisation of payroll and the multitude of problems that have resulted.

Dixon indicated that it rated 2 out of 10 initially but it is getting better. Fiona Balfour, Head of IT said that complaints about payroll had decreased so things must be getting better - we beg to differ - many people have given up complaining or don't realise their pay is wrong because who can read the payslips anyway! If you have a payroll problem you must raise it formally otherwise management will believe their own rhetoric that there aren't any problems.

What's next?

We will be pressing Qantas to make good on their promise for a forum to improve consultation, as soon as we know what form this will take we will advise members. If you want more information on the Geoff Dixon meeting talk to your local organiser.