Australian Federation of Air Pilots
Encyclopedia
The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) is a professional association and industrial organisation
for commercial pilots in Australia
.
As a professional association, it provides pilots
the opportunity to meet and discuss aviation-related matters. Its Technical Committee is involved in the development of Australian and international aviation safety
standards.
As an industrial organisation, its role is to improve employment conditions for its members, including collective bargaining
-- negotiating labour contracts, representing members involved in a dispute with their employer or in the event of an accident or incident.
is to "represent and promote the interests of Australian professional flight crew and to champion the highest possible standards of aviation safety."
AFAP-represented pilots work in general aviation
and flight instruction
, crop dusting, aeromedical service
s and fly for regional
and international airline
s. Its representation encompasses most Australian commercial pilots who serve in a professional capacity, with the notable exception of Qantas
' mainline pilots, who are represented by the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA)
. AFAP are founding members of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations
.
Town Hall in Melbourne
, when a group of about 40 pilots and navigator
s, primarily from Victoria
, but also from New South Wales
, Queensland
, South Australia
, and Western Australia
.
After World War II
, it became the Australian Air Pilots’ Association (AAPA), taking on a greater role in traditional trade union
matters such as contract negotiations and working conditions. In 1948, it was one of the organisations which came together to form the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, an international body representing the interests of professional pilots.
The AAPA was disbanded in 1959, when its entire membership resigned due to an arbitration
system imposed by the government on all trade and industrial unions which was perceived as "incapable of understanding the profession." These members formed the AFAP, which initially operated as a pilots' federation outside the regulatory system of industrial and trade unions.
Thirty years later came the 1989 Australian pilots' dispute, one of the most expensive and dramatic industrial disputes in Australian history. The dispute was a response by the AFAP to a prolonged period of wage suppression, undertaken in support of its campaign for a large pay increase (which it quantified at 29.47%, though such claims usually form a starting position for negotiations). Beginning 18 August 1989, AFAP members imposed limitations on the hours they were prepared to work, making themselves available for flying duties only within the normal office working hours of 9am to 5pm. They argued that if they were to be treated in exactly the same way as employees in other industries, their work conditions should also be the same, the position adopted by the Government
of Prime Minister
Bob Hawke
. The dispute escalated, with Australian Defense Force troops being called out to enforce public order and AFAP member pilots resigning en masse.
along a democratic model, with direct democracy
the preferred method for major decisions, such as finalising workplace negotiations. It comprises various pilot council
s retaining control of their own direction. Among those are councils representing pilots working for the following organisations:
negotiations and as part of formal grievance
procedures, the AFAP also provides ancillary benefits to its members, such as:
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
for commercial pilots in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
As a professional association, it provides pilots
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
the opportunity to meet and discuss aviation-related matters. Its Technical Committee is involved in the development of Australian and international aviation safety
Air safety
Air safety is a term encompassing the theory, investigation and categorization of flight failures, and the prevention of such failures through regulation, education and training. It can also be applied in the context of campaigns that inform the public as to the safety of air travel.-United...
standards.
As an industrial organisation, its role is to improve employment conditions for its members, including collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
-- negotiating labour contracts, representing members involved in a dispute with their employer or in the event of an accident or incident.
Mission and role
Its stated missionMission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
is to "represent and promote the interests of Australian professional flight crew and to champion the highest possible standards of aviation safety."
AFAP-represented pilots work in general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and flight instruction
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
, crop dusting, aeromedical service
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
s and fly for regional
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
and international airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
s. Its representation encompasses most Australian commercial pilots who serve in a professional capacity, with the notable exception of Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
' mainline pilots, who are represented by the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA)
Australian and International Pilots Association
The Australian and International Pilots Association is a trade union and professional association formed in 1981 to represent Qantas and its related companies pilots and flight engineers. The AIPA broke away from the Australian Federation of Air Pilots in the early 1980s...
. AFAP are founding members of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations
International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations
The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations was created during a conference of pilots' associations held in London in April 1948 for the express purpose of providing a formal means for the airline pilots of the world to interact with the then newly formed UN body the...
.
History
The first precursor to the AFAP was the Australian Institute of Air Pilots and Navigators, which began Sunday evening, 18 May 1938 at the Moonee PondsMoonee Ponds, Victoria
Moonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse...
Town Hall in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, when a group of about 40 pilots and navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
s, primarily from Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, but also from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it became the Australian Air Pilots’ Association (AAPA), taking on a greater role in traditional trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
matters such as contract negotiations and working conditions. In 1948, it was one of the organisations which came together to form the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, an international body representing the interests of professional pilots.
The AAPA was disbanded in 1959, when its entire membership resigned due to an arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
system imposed by the government on all trade and industrial unions which was perceived as "incapable of understanding the profession." These members formed the AFAP, which initially operated as a pilots' federation outside the regulatory system of industrial and trade unions.
Thirty years later came the 1989 Australian pilots' dispute, one of the most expensive and dramatic industrial disputes in Australian history. The dispute was a response by the AFAP to a prolonged period of wage suppression, undertaken in support of its campaign for a large pay increase (which it quantified at 29.47%, though such claims usually form a starting position for negotiations). Beginning 18 August 1989, AFAP members imposed limitations on the hours they were prepared to work, making themselves available for flying duties only within the normal office working hours of 9am to 5pm. They argued that if they were to be treated in exactly the same way as employees in other industries, their work conditions should also be the same, the position adopted by the Government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
. The dispute escalated, with Australian Defense Force troops being called out to enforce public order and AFAP member pilots resigning en masse.
Organisation
The AFAP is organised as a labor federationTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
along a democratic model, with direct democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
the preferred method for major decisions, such as finalising workplace negotiations. It comprises various pilot council
Local union
A local union, often shortened to local, in North America, or a union branch in the United Kingdom and other countries is a locally-based trade union organization which forms part of a larger, usually national, union.Local branches are organized to represent the union's members from a particular...
s retaining control of their own direction. Among those are councils representing pilots working for the following organisations:
- Australian Helicopters
- CHC HelicopterCHC HelicopterCHC Helicopter is one of the world’s largest helicopter services company specializing in: Transportation to offshore oil and gas platforms; Civilian search and rescue services; Helicopter maintenance repair and overhaul...
- Civil Aviation Safety AuthorityCivil Aviation Safety AuthorityThe Civil Aviation Safety Authority is the Australian national aviation authority , the government statutory authority responsible for the regulation of civil aviation.-History:...
- Cobham Aviation Services Australia
- Eastern Australia AirlinesEastern Australia AirlinesEastern Australia Airlines Pty Ltd is an airline based on the grounds of Sydney Airport in Mascot, City of Botany Bay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is a regional domestic airline serving 16 destinations under the QantasLink banner. Its main base is Sydney Airport, with a hub at Melbourne...
(a QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
subsidiary)
- Jetstar AirwaysJetstar AirwaysJetstar Airways is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It is a subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by low-cost airline Virgin Blue...
- Regional Express AirlinesRegional Express AirlinesRegional Express Pty Ltd is an airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It operates scheduled regional services. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, North Queensland and Tasmania...
- Sunstate AirlinesSunstate AirlinesSunstate Airlines is a subsidiary of Qantas which operates regional flights under the QantasLink banner throughout Queensland; and on the trunk routes between Sydney and Canberra, and between Brisbane and Canberra...
(a Qantas subsidiary)
- Royal Flying Doctor Service of AustraliaRoyal Flying Doctor Service of AustraliaThe Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is an emergency and primary health care service for those living in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia...
- Tiger Airways AustraliaTiger Airways AustraliaTiger Airways Australia Pty Ltd, operating as Tiger Airways Australia, is a low cost airline which commenced services in the Australian domestic airline market on 23 November 2007. It is a subsidiary of Tiger Airways Holdings, a Singapore-based company, which is owned partially by Singapore Airlines...
- V AustraliaV AustraliaVirgin Australia International Airlines Pty Ltd, trading as V Australia, is a long haul international airline owned by Virgin Blue Holdings. It operates as an international feeder for Virgin Australia...
- Virgin Australia
Benefits
In addition to providing employee representation during collective bargainingCollective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
negotiations and as part of formal grievance
Grievance (labour)
In a trade union, a grievance is a complaint filed by an employee which may be resolved by procedures provided for in a collective agreement or by mechanisms established by an employer...
procedures, the AFAP also provides ancillary benefits to its members, such as:
- Insurance against loss of pilot's licensePilot licensing and certificationPilot licensing or certification refers to permits to fly aircraft that are issued by the National Aviation Authority in each country, establishing that the holder has met a specific set of knowledge and experience requirements. This includes taking a flying test. The certified pilot can then...
via a mutual benefit fundBenefit societyA benefit society or mutual aid society is an organization or voluntary association formed to provide mutual aid, benefit or insurance for relief from sundry difficulties... - System of retirement payments called superannuation in AustraliaSuperannuation in AustraliaSuperannuation is a retirement program in Australia. It has a compulsory element whereby employers are required by law to pay an additional amount based on a proportion of an employee's salaries and wages into a complying superannuation fund.An individual's superannuation fund can be accessed...
, and its underlying trust fund - Bereavement benefitBereavement benefit- United Kingdom :Bereavement benefit replaced Widow's benefit in the United Kingdom in April 2001. It is a social security benefit that is designed to support people who have recently lost their spouse, and need some financial support to help them get back on their feet...
payments - Discounts on accommodation, travel, dining and car rental