Qantas calls itself The Spirit of Australia, but the airline appears not to care much for its Australian workers.
Australia's flagship carrier and largest airline, plans to cut 850 workers after signing an outsourcing deal that will involve many of the roles being sent offshore, many to India.
Qantas will get rid of staff, including through mass redundancies, after signing a deal with tech consultants Accenture, staff were told via email today.
The first phase of job losses will affect roles in finance, procurement, human resources and marketing.
The airline said in what is certain to be an unpopular statement: "Qantas Group has signed a strategic partnership with Accenture to modernise its back-end systems, processes and data, as it steps up investment in technology and AI alongside the largest fleet renewal in its history.
"This comes as the airline responds to the pace of change in technology and AI globally, which is rapidly transforming how businesses operate, what customers expect and how people do their jobs.
"Like every airline, Qantas runs on technology built up over decades for a different era, including more than 1,000 legacy applications that were never designed to work together. Modernising these systems and connecting the data across them is the critical next step to remove complexity, unlock innovation and accelerate the Group’s use of AI, with lasting benefits across the business."
And it is always good to give staff bad news via an email.
The airline said: "Around 850 roles at the Qantas Group are expected to be affected over the coming years. Qantas will consult with affected employees and their unions before individual outcomes are determined. The first wave of changes are expected to be in place by mid-2027.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson (above) said the partnership was about building a more modern, competitive organisation and preparing the business for the future.
"The scale and speed of change in this space is unprecedented and unlike anything businesses have seen in generations. Leading organisations around the world are well progressed in using technology and AI to completely transform how they work, and standing still is not an option for us.” Hudson said.
“We know this will be difficult news for some of our people and this decision is not a reflection of their contribution or commitment. We are focused on providing redeployment into other roles across the Group where possible, including new roles we’re creating in Australia, as well as on reskilling, retraining and ongoing support and care.”
Australian Services Union (ASU) members are demanding Qantas honour a commitment it made to workers in August.
When reports of a deal, known internally as Project iQ, first emerged in August, Qantas assured their employees that there was no plan to offshore any Australian jobs.
ASU assistant national secretary Scott Cowen said workers deserved an honest explanation of what had changed since then.
“Earlier this year, Qantas told us directly there was no plan to offshore any jobs. Today, they’ve come out and told hundreds of staff members that their work will now be delivered mostly from people overseas. Qantas staff have the right to an explanation”, said Cowen.
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