Things are sure looking dire over at Qantas as the airline has now asked its senior managers to volunteer for work as baggage handlers in an effort to combat the labor shortage.
Qantas has fired a large amount of ground services staff during the pandemic and attempted to replace them with cheaper labor supplied by contractors. a decision that is currently subject to litigation.
The airline (much like many of their counterparts, especially in Europe) is now reeling from the lack of workers it requires to stem daily operations.
Severe cost cutting, dubious management decisions, and a fast recovery of demand for air travel now has the carrier reeling as passengers complain and airports in chaos – especially in the baggage department.
As The Guardian reports, Qantas is now taking unusual steps and has called for their executives to change lofty desk jobs for the cargo hold.
Senior executives at Qantas are being asked to trade their high-profile positions to work as ground handlers as part of a plan to combat labour shortages.
The embattled airline’s chief operating officer, Colin Hughes, told staff in an internal memo that Qantas is seeking expressions of interest for a contingency program over a three-month period.
“People who respond to the EOI will be trained and rostered into the ramp environment at Sydney and Melbourne airports,” Hughes wrote. “These people will support our ground handling partners, who are managing the Qantas operation, over a three-month period from mid-August.”
At least 100 managers will be recruited to sort and scan bags and transport luggage. Hughes added: “There is no expectation that you will opt into this role on top of your full-time position.”
At least 1,600 baggage handlers were sacked during lockdown, with the service outsourced to contractors, a decision that the federal court has ruled unlawful. Qantas has vowed to appeal the decision.
The once-highly regarded airline has apologised after a litany of complaints from frustrated passengers who have endured delayed and cancelled flights, long queues at airports and lost baggage.
Qantas is hoping to address the problems by scheduling fewer flights in the next month and hiring more staff.
I don’t know what to think of this. The decision to fire staff in order to cut costs was surely made at the top and not in middle management. Now they want to “recruit” random management staff to work as baggage handlers, shifting bags around in the cargo hold?
For sure, they’d continue to earn rather big bucks compared to their fellow colleagues alongside whom they’ll have to work. Not sure how much of a collegial environment that would be. It’s one thing to change positions in a company and be respected by your peers, but if you’re seen as being there for virtue signaling, I’m sure that the atmosphere won’t be cordial.
What’s the upside for people who volunteer for this? Are they going to ask both male and female executives alike to start working at the ramp? Where is Alan Joyce and members of the board who caused this mess? Are they going to be hauling bags as well?
I doubt that recruiting someone who has no interest in the job and no experience with doing a back-breaking job such as a baggage handler will contribute to a solution to the problem. These people will probably call in sick within days. Is there any age limit for the volunteers? What are the consequences for someone simply saying “NO” or, in turn, the advantages of someone who agrees to do this? Better chances for promotion in the future?
Qantas is still appealing its decision to outsource staff in federal court. Maybe, just maybe, the company should concentrate on hiring new workers as Qantas staff under proper conditions and pay schedules rather than taking legal action to try and work around that.
Conclusion
Maybe you’ll see Qantas management working at the ramp to load baggage very soon if a corporate plan materializes where executives are asked to step in as baggage handlers for three months. Who is going to volunteer for this program?
From a distance, this looks like nothing but a joke. Just a cheap charade to make it look like management cares while the real fat cats who are at fault for the mess Qantas is in will continue to hog chairs in the boardroom. To top it all off, Qantas is involved in litigation to preserve their decision to outsource baggage handlers to cheap third-party handling agents. So much for taking it seriously to fix the situation quickly and in a long-lasting fashion.
