Tue, Oct 18, 2011
CASA Says It Will Be Watching Very Carefully
The Australian aviation safety agency CASA has sent a letter to
Qantas saying it had better keep an eye on safety during a labor
dispute that is expected to be protracted. The letter indicates
that Civil Aviation Safety Authority will continue to pay close
attention to the airline during the dispute, according to a report
in The Australian in conjunction with the Wall Street
Journal.
The letter reminds that parties that CASA has no role in labor
relations unless safety is potentially compromised. "CASA will
continue a high level of audit and surveillance of aviation
safety-related activities during industrial actions and will take
any necessary actions required to maintain aviation safety," the
letter states.
Late last week, The International Pilots Association told the
media that Qantas had broken off talks being mediated by Fair Work
Australia, and that Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a report in Sky
News that there would be no quick resolution to the two sides'
differences. However, the paper reports that Qantas denies that it
has walked away from the talks, which have been going on for over a
year.
The core of the dispute is over maintenance contracts and
overtime bans by mechanics' unions. Qantas says it is losing
contracts because it cannot guarantee deliveries, and could lose
more. It is moving some maintenance offshore as a result. The
Australian licensed Aircraft Engineers Association disputes that
position, saying the airline is working to move maintenance
offshore by "stealth" and is using the labor dispute as an
excuse.
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