More than 750 domestic flight attendants funnelled to Qantas by labour hire firms will get a hefty pay boost, in what is being hailed as a victory for 'same job, same pay' laws.
The win for the flight attendants comes after an agreement between the carrier and the Flight Attendants' Association of Australia and means they will earn the same pay as colleagues employed directly by Qantas.
Their base pay will rise by up to $20,000 a year, in some cases amounting to a 42 per cent rise, excluding allowances, from April.
"Some of these crew will no longer need three jobs to make ends meet and put a roof over the heads of their families," union secretary Teri O'Toole said on Tuesday.
The agreement has been hailed a victory for the federal Labor government's same job, same pay laws, which closed the loophole that allowed labour hire workers to be paid less than direct employees of a business.
"These are workers who wear the same uniform, do the same work, work the same rosters but have been paid significantly less than their colleagues," Employment and Workplace Minister Murray Watt said.
"They do the same job and they deserve the same pay."
More than 2400 international flight attendants who had been working for labour hire operators would also be employed directly, Mr Watt said.
The minister went on to claim the coalition wanted to scrap the same job, same pay laws, if it wins the federal election due to be held by May 17.
