Janine Aitken | Cairns Organiser & Regional Industrial Advocate, stands for no monsense

ENTSCH’S CREDIBILITY IN TATTERS AFTER TOURISM BEAT-UP

9 February, 2012:

Janine Aitken

Cairns Organiser & Regional Industrial Advocate

Transport Workers Union of Australia Queensland Branch

Cairns residents are scratching their heads after Warren Entsch’s bizarre, nonsensical fearmongering in defence of his mates at the big end of town.

"Why is Mr Entsch repeating Bruce Buchanan’s and Alan Joyce’s hysterical disinformation?" Transport Workers’ Union FNQ Organiser Janine Aitken asked today.

"There isn’t a snowflake’s chance in hell that Jetstar will cease services to Cairns or Darwin, and their threat to do so if foreign crews are paid Aussie wages gives us an alarming insight into their valuation of hard-working families in Cairns.

"Alan Joyce and Bruce Buchanan won’t cancel services; this is just more threats from an arrogant company that treats passengers, workers, and the tourist industry with contempt. "If Jetstar left Cairns today, Virgin Australia would pick up the capacity tomorrow. "Down at the airport, aviation families are appalled at how cheap and dangerous the talk is coming out of corporate HQ."

Mr Entsch’s remarks were reported at the same time as increased flights into Cairns were announced.

"Instead of licking the boots of his mates at the Big End of Town, Warren Entsch should support the workers whose productivity has supported this Australian icon" Ms Aitken said. "Warren Entsch should stop talking down tourism, and start talking it up.

"While he’s at it, he needs to do a 180-degree turn on his attitude to the people whose hard yakka is keeping our community prosperous.  "He would rather see Qantas use underpaid, non-taxpaying foreign workers who spend what they earn in overseas markets. He’ll sell off what’s good for the nation for what’s good for Warren. 

 "If foreign crews are part of Jetstar’s Australian flights, then they must be paid Aussie pay rates. It’s a simple matter of what is fair and what is right.  "When the Australian public heard that Jetstar was paying Thai workers $400 a month, for working Aussie flights, it was disgusted.  "The only people who don’t understand the rank immorality of that revolting business practice are Alan Joyce, Bruce Buchanan, and Warren Entsch.

ENDS              

Media contact: Michael Wong 0411 875 910

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