Qantas engineers hold snap 24-hour strike amid pay dispute [Video]

Hundreds of Qantas engineers critical to aircraft maintenance are walking off the job this morning in a 24-hour strike, but the airline insists the industrial action is unlikely to cause flight delays or cancellations.

Engine components maintenance engineers at Melbourne‘s Tullamarine Airport will down their tools from 9am, while in Brisbane heavy maintenance engineers are striking from 1.30am AEST.

The snap strike comes after weeks of industrial action by the Qantas Engineers’ Alliance, – comprising the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Electrical Trades Union and Australian Workers Union – over a pay dispute.

The Alliance is asking for a five per cent pay rise per year, starting with a 15 per cent pay rise this year to compensate to 3.5 years of wage freezes.

“When times were tough, our members accepted years of …