Pay-row pilots extend strike at Qantas subsidiary

More than 200 pilots from QantasLink and Network Aviation continue strike action.

Disruptions are expected to continue for regional airline passengers and fly-in, fly-out workers as pilots employed by a Qantas subsidiary announce another work stoppage.

More than 200 airline Network Aviation and QantasLink pilots remain off the job on Friday as the latest three-day stoppage continues over a long-running pay dispute.

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots said the group would also strike on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in addition to the already announced one-day work stoppage on Monday.

The latest strike is the fourth time Network Aviation pilots have taken industrial action in recent months.

Their previous industrial action has forced Network Aviation to cancel and reschedule dozens of flights in and out of regional centres and mines across WA, disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers.

Qantas Group has repeatedly said it had brought in other aircraft to fly the routes and most passengers were arriving at their destinations on the same day as scheduled.

The pilots’ union has accused Qantas of refusing to negotiate and removing previously agreed terms off the bargaining table as they try to nut out a bargaining agreement.

Qantas has denied the federation’s allegations and said it hasn’t walked away from talks and has been negotiating with the pilots’ union for 18 months.

The airline on Wednesday said Network Aviation management had agreed to give the pilots another opportunity to vote on a proposed employment agreement on March 12.

Qantas said the offer that will be put to a vote is the same that had union support in December but was voted down by the pilot group.

If the pilots vote to reject the pay offer the dispute will head to the Fair Work Commission for a hearing on March 14-15 to determine whether the parties have reached a stage where an outcome cannot be negotiated and arbitration is required.

Network Aviation, which is owned by Qantas, is WA’s premier charter company for the mining industry and operates hundreds of flights a week.