Qantas has asked its senior executives and managers to step down from their cushy office jobs for a few months to work as baggage handlers, due to horrendous staff shortages.
Per The Australian, Qantas chief operating officer Colin Hughes
“During your time in the contingency program, you’ll be an embedded resource within the ground handling partners,” he wrote.
“This means you’ll receive a roster, be scheduled to operate and be supervised and managed in the live operations by our grand handling partners.”
“We’ve been clear that our operational performance has not been meeting our customers’ expectations or the standards that we expect of ourselves – and that we’ve been pulling out all stops to improve our performance,” a spokesperson told The Guardian.
“As we have done in the past during busy periods, around 200 head office staff have helped at airports during peak travel periods since Easter.”
dropped the news of the so-called “contingency program” in an internal memo.
Cue the worst group chats imaginable going off chops on LinkedIn.
At least 100 staff members will work up to five days a week in the -esque swap, which is expected to last three months. They’ll be tasked with sorting through and scanning bags, fanging luggage onto planes and then chauffeuring it between terminals.
If you ask me, it’s about damn time those mfs hauled ass on the tarmac after the airline sacked at least 1,600 baggage handlers during the pandemic. The Federal Court found the decision was in breach of the Fair Work Act and the airline is appealing the matter in the High Court.
But Qantas has found it difficult to get staff back on board due to a tricky labour market and Miss. Rona continuing to rear her ugly head across the country.
As a result of the staff shortages, for the last few months operations at Qantas have been, for lack of a better word, a shitshow. From and long queues at the airport to straight up and delaying flights, the airline is truly going through its villain era.
Qantas hopes its little contingency plan will improve its shonky ass service.
Well, well, well Qantas, and your executives who will soon be moonlighting as baggage handlers. .
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