One minute strikes to hit Qantas

Australian carrier Qantas on Wednesday branded industrial action which will see two right-handed technicians work with their left hands only and a one-minute strike by engineers a dangerous stunt. The two workers will only use their left hands to fix planes for a week and all 1,600 Qantas engineers will down tools for 60 seconds on Friday in a token action linked to a protracted industrial dispute about wages and conditions. The engineers won the right to strike earlier this month but called their original action off after budget carrier Tiger Airways was grounded by aviation regulators, stranding tens of thousands of passengers. Steve Purvinas, head of the aircraft engineers' union, said industrial action had to be launched before next Thursday or they would lose their legal protection so "limited" tactics would be taken from Friday. "If we take action, the campaign can continue indefinitely until an outcome is achieved," Purvinas said. "Some of their actions will seem odd but they have been crafted carefully to fit within the legal definitions of the approved ballot actions," he added. The "small token stand" would include a one-minute strike across the nation and one-handed maintenance work by two members of the union's executive. Qantas condemned the engineers for "playing ridiculous games" when they could just apply for an extension with the industrial relations' adjudicator. "This union action is unprofessional, makes a mockery of Australia's industrial laws and quite frankly could be a safety risk," a Qantas spokesman said. Purvinas said the actions had been chosen to minimise impact on the travelling public while satisfying legal requirements and would have no impact on safety. "Both engineers have been aircraft engineers for over 30 years, so I think they're more than capable of carrying out their work with their left or right hand," he said. "It might take them three seconds longer to do up a screw." Qantas's 1,700 long-haul pilots voted this week to take their first industrial action in 45 years following strained contract negotiations, though they have described striking as a last resort.