Apparently some 400 pilots have voiced their issues with the new Jetstar boss Bruce Buchanan. This came up just after Bruce proposed a planned employment change. That apparently does not sit well with the pilots of the airline.

Just a few weeks after Buchanan was prompted to Jetstar Chief Executive, in line with the company’s strategy to continue expanding into the Asian region, 400 disgruntled pilots packed the Sydney Wolli Creek Rowers Club in protest. They were angry that the Jetstar expansion into Asia would see Singapore- and Vietnam-based pilots transferred to Australia and only paid award rates. The pilots passed an unanimous motion declaring the move as an offensive attempt by Jetstar to pit pilots against each other to secure their careers.

The pilots went on to say that they no longer had confidence in Bruce Buchanan as the Chief Executive of the airline. Some sources said that Australian and International Pilots Association officials have advised pilots against illegal industrial action. However, they did tell the pilots that they should continue but do it within the law.

Any further action would see pilots refusing to work outside scheduled hours and not taking on more than a minimum load of fuel. One Jetstar pilot said that they do not want to do anything that will cause delays to passengers. He went on to say that, despite this, they do want Jestar and Qantas to stop undermining pilots’ wages, conditions and opportunities. They are doing this to progress the company, but it is hurting their employees in the process. There has to be another way, and the pilots want the airlines to find it.