Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) is facing industrial action on several fronts with ground staff, pilots and engineers all demanding better pay and job security.
Australia’s Transport Workers’ Union, that represents the airline’s ground staff, will within weeks meet with unions from around the world joined to the airlines that form the One World alliance.
The union's national secretary Tony Sheldon has told the Australian Financial Review that the meeting will work towards establishing group wide employment standards and protections against outsourcing of labour.
Last month the union warned that 9,000 Qantas workers are prepared to strike if their job security is not guaranteed.
A Qantas spokesperson has confirmed that the airline recently sent a range of staff overseas to undergo contingency training so flights can continue as normal in the event of a union-led strike.
For the half year ended on 31 December 2010, Qantas reported a net profit of $239 million.
