[Peetwo]

Disagreement heats up on QF special deal for foreign pilots -    

First from the AFR yesterday:

• Aug 5 2018 at 11:45 PM
  
  
• Updated Aug 5 2018 at 11:45 PM
  

Qantas steers around 457 visa crackdown with deal for overseas pilots






by David Marin-Guzman

Qantas has struck an agreement with the Turnbull government to get around new restrictions on skilled visa workers and recruit overseas pilots for long-term stays.

The labour agreement granted last month allows the airline's regional arm, QantasLink, to bring 76 pilots and instructors into the country for up to four years, avoiding new two-year restrictions that block permanent residency.
Qantas is the most high-profile company to be granted a labour agreement this year, in what is an emerging tool for employers to address the government's crackdown on the skilled visa system.

The airline, which has 3500 pilots in total, is going through one of the biggest pilot training programs in its history, with plans to train 100 pilots a year in a new centre to open in 2019.

The pending introduction of 14 Dreamliners has meant Qantas needs to train pilots to move up the ranks, to replace those it has promoted to fly the new aircraft.

However, the airline has struggled to recruit enough instructors and believes two-year visa restrictions on overseas pilots, which came into full effect in March, are globally uncompetitive.

The labour agreement will allow it to bring in overseas pilot instructors, as well as pilots for low-level propeller aircraft, with the intake to be renegotiated after the first year.

While their visa stay will be limited to four years, the workers will be cleared for a pathway to permanent residency after that period.

A Qantas spokesperson said: "Our focus has always been to recruit Australian-based pilots and that hasn't changed.

"This agreement allows us to temporarily bring in a limited number of simulator instructors and experienced pilots from overseas to support one of the biggest training programs we have done in our history."

Industry deals

Labour agreements date back to 1989, but have attracted renewed interest after the Turnbull government restricted permanent residency pathways for skilled visa workers, scrapped a range of eligible occupations and introduced dozens of business prerequisites.

Other companies granted labour agreements this year include Inpex Australia, which runs the Ichthys LNG project, beef exporter Teys Australia and Sydney harbour fine-dining restaurant Aqua Dining.

Ernst & Young's global immigration head, Wayne Parcell, said his firm has seen an increase in inquiries from employers about labour agreements, particularly for airline services and the regional health sector.

"They really provide the only pathway to loosening the criteria that people have to sponsor people who are not on one of those designated lists or are in occupations that don't quite fit," he said.

'No easy pathway'

Department of Immigration and Border Protection secretary Mike Pezzullo told a Senate estimates hearing in May that labour agreements were a "better targeted measure" to address company-specific requirements for skilled workers.

"There is no reason for anyone to be devastated about anything," he said in response to a backlash to the visa changes. "They can engage with us on a labour agreement, they can engage with us on any number of alternative pathways." 

However, Mr Parcell said his understanding was the department did not see such agreements as its "favoured option", as it viewed them as a "regulation breaker".

Information requirements for the agreements were also "incredibly intensive", with documents needing to demonstrate economic benefit, labour market testing, skill and salary levels.

"It's not an easy pathway by any means," he said. "You won't be looking at it for low-paid, low-skilled occupations because of the high level of sensitivity [surrounding such agreements]."

And this afternoon from Ironsider, via the Oz...  

Qantas pilots query ‘special deal’ allowing airline to hire foreign pilots
A Qantas pilot. Picture Chris Pavlich

• ROBYN IRONSIDE
  AVIATION WRITER
  @ironsider
  
  
• AN HOUR AGO AUGUST 7, 2018
  
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Qantas pilots have questioned an agreement struck by the airline with the federal government, that smooths the way for the recruitment of foreign pilots with the promise of permanent residency.


The agreement will allow QantasLink to bring in 76 pilots and instructors for up to four years, after which time they can seek to remain in Australia.

Other foreign workers entering Australia on skilled work visas are restricted to a two year stay that blocks permanent residency.

Australian and International Pilots Association president Murray Butt said AIPA rejected the assertion there were insufficient numbers of Australian candidates to fill the positions.

“Qantas should not have been granted a special deal to hire foreign pilots, before properly testing the labour market,” Captain Butt said.

“If there is a real pilot shortage of Australian applicants and AIPA seriously doubts that is the case, it has come about because aviation employers have sat on their hands and done nothing to address the impending supply side problem.

“Collectively, they have made aviation a relatively unattractive career.”
He said it was AIPA’s view, the deal to recruit foreign pilots for four years was “little more than a smoke screen to keep pilot salaries as low as possible”.

“Our biggest concern is they’re trying to subsidise low wages with Australian residency, and we shouldn’t be trying to sell off Australian residency,” Capt Butt said.

Qantas (QAN) sought the deal from government after having difficulty attracting experienced aviators on two year contracts.

A Qantas spokeswoman said the airline’s focus “had always been to recruit Australian-based pilots and that hasn’t changed”.

“This agreement allows us to temporarily bring in a limited number of simulator instructors and experienced pilots from overseas to support one of the biggest training programs we have done in our history,” she said.

Since 2016, Qantas has hired over 600 new pilots in Australia with ongoing recruitment set to add another 350 by the end of this year.

The Australian understands the starting salary for Qantas pilots is $90,000, and eligible senior pilots will be required to meet the same capability standards as existing pilots.

And via the AFAP:

PILOTS OPPOSE GOVERNMENT DECISION ALLOWING QANTAS TO HIRE FOREIGN PILOTS
Posted: Tuesday, 7 August 2018 Category: Media Releases


In response to the Federal Government’s recent decision to allow the Qantas Group to employ a large number of foreign pilots, AFAP President, Captain David Booth said, “There is not a pilot shortage in Australia, rather a bottleneck in the pilot training pipeline”.  

Captain Booth went on to say, “This decision is a slap in the face to hundreds of qualified young Australian pilots who are ready, willing and able to take up pilot positions in the Qantas Group”. 

“It is very disappointing that the government has seen fit to reward Qantas for their poor planning with this band-aid solution”, said Captain Booth. 

The aviation industry has always been cyclical. As recently as 2015 the Qantas Group said it had too many pilots and took steps such as base closures and forced demotions.  They also halted all recruitment into Qantas mainline for the period 2009 to 2016 despite forecast pilot retirements and having numerous orders for new B787 aircraft in the pipeline. 

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) strongly opposed this request and made a detailed submission to Qantas and Government addressing and putting forward 10 reasons why the labour agreement is not the appropriate answer. 

The AFAP has requested and remains open to hold round-table meetings with all the stakeholders to find a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the current problems being experienced by general aviation and regional airlines.  
------------ ENDS ------------ 

The AFAP is the largest professional association representing Australian commercial air pilots. 
Enquiries to:
 
Simon Lutton, AFAP Executive Director                                                                     
M 0419 482 582 E simon@afap.org.au
Captain David Booth, AFAP President
M 0410 411 906 E david.booth@afap.org.au

MTF...P2