Carrier Asking Some Staff To Work 'Unpaid' Shifts During The Holidays

An internal Qantas memo that was leaked to the Internet has led to the airline being excoriated over holiday scheduling.

Fox News reports that the memo deals with a "Christmas peak Sydney International Terminal volunteer initiative". It essentially asks employees to work for free at "self-service check-ins and auto bag drop area, bussing gates, concourse arrivals hall and at the transfer desk. The roles allocated to volunteers will depend on their preferences, skillset and security requirements."

A Qantas spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald that the move was not about cutting costs, but "spreading a bit of Christmas cheer during a really busy period.

"It’s typically our executives who volunteer, particularly because it’s a chance for them to spend more time on the frontline," the spokesperson said.

But the Australian Services Union took to Twitter to call the effort a "shocking display of corporate greed from a company with record profit that paid its CEO $25 million last year."

Some customers also blasted the airline on the social media platform. Andrew Heslop Tweeted "As a long standing @Qantas customer and #brand advocate I am incensed that any executive could assess peak customer demand as a volunteerism opportunity rather than paid overtime for appropriately qualified staff.”

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report