Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to rise to make a quick contribution. I don't know if anyone saw the 4 Corners show on Qantas last night. I don't want to hear all the bulldust and all the excuses about COVID. We know all that. The Qantas company is being driven into the ground by one of the worst boards and one of the worst CEOs, being led by a person and people who are happy to illegally sack 2,000 under-the-wing workers to outsource their jobs.

It gets worse. I have spoken with many Qantas cabin crew. As a lot of you interact with Qantas cabin crew, it's not hard to see how unhappy the workforce is. They come to me because they know my background. They know my background of Qantas trying to sue me for $94,000 for sticking up for transport workers. Men and women, to a tee, can't wait to tell me of the shocking conditions that they face at Qantas.

A lot of you over there wouldn't know that just within the cabin crew there are no less than 10 industrial arrangements. Ten! Talk about people mixing on the same planes on different agreements. Talk about labour hire, which is the scourge of the industrial arena scene. If I had another three hours, I'd tell you what I really think about labour hire!

The undermining of conditions that were negotiated with unions—how do I know? Because I was on Qantas EBA 3 and Qantas EBA 4 negotiating for the TWU members in Perth. They'd be standing alongside another man or woman who could be working for some $60 less per shift. Some of the workers on some of those grubby labour hire agreements do not even get paid if they have to stay overnight; they'll get the transfer, they'll get the accommodation, and they'll get nothing else.

I've got to tell you: you should watch Four Corners. It might open your eyes. Alan Joyce is not God. (Time expired)