Transport Workers Union: ACCC should investigate Qantas

The Transport Workers Union has called on the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission to investigate Qantas announcement of a massive fuel-related price increase on tickets.

TWU national secretary, Tony Sheldon, said that during a traditional time of reflection at Easter, it was a spit in the face for all Australians that Qantas would chose to dramatically raise prices.

"Here we have a company fined millions and millions of shareholders' dollars for fixing prices on freight in overseas jurisdictions and Qantas again jacks up the fare," Mr Sheldon said.

"Given Qantas' four-fold increase in profits over recent times and the top 9 executives at the company giving themselves a 58 per cent payrise, to again cry poor and put the onus on the Australian public to foot the bill is absurd.

"This is a company predicting growth of over 8 per cent over the coming year and it puts up prices, regardless of this being an industry that always has and always will be sensitive to world events - it just does not add up. The Australian Qantas/Jetstar workforce has delivered for the Australian community and management needs to do the same.

"The Royal Bank of Scotland have said they are the best-placed airline in the world when it comes to fuel prices, and Qantas themselves are predicting a massive profit this year.

"The Maurice Blackburn law-firm is currently running a class action for Qantas customers affected by freight price fixing, but the ACCC should look into this new potential price fix to ensure it is not the wider travelling public being ripped off," Mr Sheldon said.

The Transport Workers Union has also called on Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce, to resist from using serious industrial relations negotiations to distract from real issues surrounding the company, the workforce and the community

"Mr Joyce yesterday announced he is putting up fares then immediately attacked unions for making safety and fairness a part of workplace negotiations. Talk about offering a distraction on the day your shares drop to a 20-month low," Mr Sheldon said.

"Unions are also told they are damaging the brand by demanding a safe and secure workplace with offers permanent employment but that is also just a ruse.

"Constant fines for price fixing, the continued outsourcing and off-shoring of jobs and a management team constantly talking down the world's best performing airline does far more to damage a brand," Mr Sheldon said.