Qantas flight attendants receive significant pay increases

More than 750 flight attendants in Australia will receive a significant pay increase. This change comes after an agreement between Qantas and the Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia. These attendants, previously hired through labour companies, will now earn the same salary as those employed directly by Qantas. From April, some attendants could see their base pay rise by up to $20,000 a year. This increase may be as high as 42 percent, not including additional allowances. Union secretary Teri O’Toole expressed that this will help workers meet their financial needs without having to hold multiple jobs. The agreement is seen as a success for the federal government's "same job, same pay" laws. These laws were designed to eliminate pay gaps between labour-hire workers and direct employees. Employment Minister Murray Watt highlighted that these workers perform the same duties as their colleagues but were previously paid less. Additionally, over 2,400 international flight attendants who also worked for labour-hire firms will be employed directly by Qantas, further supporting fair pay practices in the industry.