SYDNEY // Qantas flights could to be back in the air as early as today, after an independent workplace tribunal ordered an end to industrial action that prompted an unprecedented grounding of the Australian carrier's entire global fleet.
In a late-night decision, Fair Work Australia ruled that strikes and overtime bans organised by three unions representing Qantas pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers over recent months had to stop. The Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce, said the airline could resume a limited flight schedule this afternoon if the aviation regulator approved it.
Qantas flights were suspended worldwide on Saturday, stranding tens of thousands of passengers. The grounding was ordered by Mr Joyce in an effort to bring the long-running industrial dispute - over pay, conditions and plan to cut costs and jobs by setting up a new airline in a cheaper Asian hub - to a head.
The airline said it was losing A$15 million (Dh59 million) a week as a result of the strikes, which were forcing it to reduce or reschedule flights.
With nearly 70,000 people - including 17 Commonwealth leaders attending a summit in Perth - affected by the grounding by yesterday, the government took the rare step of ordering Fair Work Australia to convene an emergency meeting. The tribunal handed down its ruling after more than 14 hours of testimony from the government, the airline and unions in Melbourne.
The assistant treasurer, Bill Shorten, who had condemned Mr Joyce's decision to ground more than 100 aircraft in 22 countries as a "radical overreaction", welcomed the judgement. "We are pleased, after 24 hours of turmoil, common sense was restored," he said. "We believe now that Qantas and the unions will focus on getting flying as soon as they can."
The two sides in the dispute have been given 21 days to reach agreement or face binding arbitration. Fair Work Australia said it accepted that further industrial action would have caused significant economic harm.
The chairman of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Jeff Lawrence, called on the government to ensure that Qantas management fulfilled its obligations. "We'll be working to make sure that those planes are in the air as soon as possible and that Qantas remains a good and viable airline," he said.
Commentators had warned that Qantas's move could damage the country's image internationally.
The "Flying Kangaroo", as the airline is known, was grounded at an embarrassing time for the government, which was hosting the biennial
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Seventeen world leaders attending the summit were booked to fly home on Qantas. The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said "they took it in good spirits when I briefed them about it", but she was plainly livid.
Today's edition of The Australian newspaper, published before the tribunal ruling, calls the grounding of the Qantas fleet "a devastating blow to Australia's image and international prestige". Warning that "this dispute fundamentally threatens the Qantas brand and the Australia brand", it recalls how once "iconic" companies such as Pan Am and Delta, and the American car maker General Motors, lost their lustre.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Joyce - facing an angry backlash from unions, passengers and the government - had defended his shock tactics. He said the unions had stepped up their threats following Qantas's annual general meeting on Friday, where shareholders voted to increase his pay package by 71 per cent, to A$5 million.
"Unfortunately, after the AGM the unions were more aggressive," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "They were talking about 48-hour stoppages, ramping her up, 'baking' us for a year … They said they were annoyed at the shareholders massively supporting Qantas … That was the threshold moment that changed everything."
There had been fears that Mr Joyce's move could disrupt federal parliament, which is due to reconvene tomorrow after a two-week recess. Politicians use Qantas for their official travel.
At Australian airports, 12 flights were at the gate and waiting to depart on Saturday when they were cancelled and passengers ordered to disembark. QF31 to London was actually taxiing down the runway at Sydney Airport when the pilot informed passengers: "There's a problem - don't worry, it's not mechanical. I'm very sorry to tell you this; in my career as a pilot I have never experienced this before."
At Los Angeles Airport, American tourists Douglas and Diane Phillips were buckled in and awaiting take-off to Melbourne when the pilot told them the flight had been grounded. "At first everyone thought they were kidding for some reason, but then we realised they were deadly serious," Mr Phillips told Associated Press.
Mark Durbin, a Londoner who was aboard QF31, was forced to sleep on the floor of the terminal with hundreds of other frustrated passengers. Qantas has been trying to rebook people with other airlines, but some faced days of delays.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Brief scores:
England: 290 & 346
Sri Lanka: 336 & 243
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
Lexus LX700h specs
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Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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