“The changes we are seeking are modest and reasonable, including rostering improvements to protect pilots’ health and wellbeing.”
The issue related to a long-haul agreement covering about 1700 pilots operating widebody aircraft.
Qantas’ A330 widebodies service routes include Perth-Auckland flights three times a week.
The pilots are seeking three “golden days” of leave every two months where they can take leave days and cannot be called up for duty.
They also want a longer notice period for late-night callouts.
And they are seeking a pay increase of up to 4%, rather than the 3% Qantas offered.
Before employees in Australia can take protected industrial action, they must apply to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to hold a protected action ballot.
Strikes, work bans and lockouts are all examples of industrial action.
The FWC approved the protected action ballot order on Friday. Voting starts next Monday and ends on August 3.
Industrial action proposals in this case ranged from bans on responding to texts from work to strikes lasting as long as 24 hours.
“All we have asked from management is a little recognition and [a] little respect,” Marshall said.
“Right now, young people are questioning piloting as a profession because it’s too uncertain, stressful and comes with significant sacrifice.
“If we let Qantas management erode the conditions of its respected and loyal pilots, the future of the airline looks bleak.”
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace today said the airline was disappointed at the union.
Wallace said the airline had kept up with negotiations.
“We’ve offered pilots significant pay increases as well as long sought-after changes to conditions, but there is a limit to what we can afford before it impacts our ability to offer competitive fares,” he said.
“We compete against more than 50 international airlines, face rising industry and government costs and are operating in a particularly uncertain global environment,” he added.
“We’re committed to reaching an agreement and have sought the assistance of the Fair Work Commission to find a resolution.”
The Qantas Group made a A$1.61 billion ($1.92b) profit in the 2025 financial year.
It made a pre-tax underlying profit of A$1.456b ($1.74b) for the six months to December 31.
The Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR is expected to fly from France this week, arriving in Melbourne on Friday.
Qantas wants the aircraft to fly directly from Sydney to New York and to London, in what would be the world’s longest regular commercial flights.
The project was announced in 2017 and 12 A350-1000ULRs were ordered four years ago.
The flights will take up to 22 hours.
John Weekes is a business journalist covering aviation. He previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.
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