JETSTAR will be sold or killed off if Senator Nick Xenophon succeeds in his push for strict new workplace laws to be forced on Qantas.   

And the flag carrier could also be pushed to the brink if the proposals become law, executives at Qantas say.

Chief Alan Joyce and his counterpart at subsidiary Jetstar, Bruce Buchanan, each told a Senate committee yesterday that the proposed laws would make the airlines uncompetitive.

Senator Xenophon has proposed that Qantas be forced - under the so-called Qantas Sale Act - to conduct most of its heavy maintenance onshore.

He has also called for rules compelling Jetstar to pay foreign cabin crew local wages when flying between Australian cities, on routes such as Singapore-Darwin-Cairns.

Mr Joyce and Mr Buchanan said the moves would make Qantas and its offshoot uncompetitive, wiping out rather than saving jobs in aviation and tourism.

"Having Jetstar compete against its competitors under restrictions that its competitors do not have, I think, will result in the failure of Jetstar in the long run or we would have to release Jetstar from the coverage of the Qantas Sale Act by selling it," Mr Joyce said.

That would mean dismantling the Qantas Group and put Qantas itself in danger, the airline's chief said.

He said if foreign-based crews had to be paid Australian wages, it would cause the Qantas Group to withdraw connecting services from Europe and Asia into Cairns and Darwin, affecting 66 flights weekly.

Senator Xenophon dismissed the airline chiefs' comments as "ridiculous" when labour rates between Australian cities made up a "miniscule" difference in flight costs.   

So then, what is the answer?.  If they want to cut peoples wages, then lets start at the top.   

cods wrote on Feb 7^th, 2012 at 5:59am:


it might susprise you to learn that you are wrong. Australians work harder and longer than most countries (OECD report). indians etc actually work short weeks and are considered lazy. have you ever wondered why a country with a billion people can be so backward? work ethic.