- The Guardian
- Issue #2201
Photo: wallpaperflare.com
The Australian Services Union (ASU) says that in briefing calls on news reports Qantas claims that there are no plans for jobs to be lost under a proposed deal with consulting giant Accenture.
The plan, known internally as Project iQ, claims the company could use artificial intelligence as part of a broader overhaul of Qantas’s operations that could see up to 1,000 marketing, finance, human resources and other back-office roles sent to India.
The union is demanding that Qantas stay true to its commitment that there will be no job losses through the implementation of Accenture’s plan.
ASU Assistant National Secretary Scott Cowen said that the news is a huge concern to ASU members. While the company’s assurances are welcome, that doesn’t change the ASU’s resolve to fight for every job.
“What’s been reported is that the airline is considering a proposal by Accenture, that’s not in dispute. What matters is that Qantas has informed us that there is no plan to offshore any Australian jobs, and we demand the airline stay true to these commitments.
“If that commitment from Qantas turns out to be worthless, it won’t just be a broken promise to the ASU. It will be a deep breach of trust with the Australian public who have stuck by this airline through everything it has put them through,” Cowen said.
This isn’t the first time the ASU has had to seek assurances from Qantas over its use of AI to justify workforce change. In May, after Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson told the Macquarie Australia Conference the airline was accelerating its use of AI, Cowen wrote to Hudson directly saying:
“These statements make clear that AI deployment at Qantas is not speculative, it is an active program of major workforce change, directly linked to cost reduction and headcount impacts,” Cowen wrote at the time.
“The premium service Qantas passengers expect is built on the expertise of our members, not the efficiency of an algorithm.”
“We are seeking an urgent meeting with Vanessa Hudson to ensure that this rapid AI push is used to support and augment our highly skilled workforce, rather than being used as a high-tech smokescreen for further job slashing and a reduced customer experience.”
Qantas has a documented history of outsourcing and offshoring Australian job and any move to replace skilled head-office staff with automation or AI will damage the airline’s operational capacity.
The ASU is calling on Qantas to commit to genuine consultation with affected workers before any final decision on Project iQ.
“We will fight to protect all Australian jobs at the airline. We’ll be watching closely, and we’ll work tirelessly to ensure that Australian consumers can rely on the high-quality services, provided by the Qantas workforce here at home,” Cowen said.
