By NOEL MURPHY
MORE than 300 Qantas workers face a bleak Christmas as the national carrier looks to cut more jobs from its Avalon servicing operations.
Avalon Airport boss Justin Giddings was scheduled to meet State Government this week to discuss options that might extend Qantas activity at the airport.
Unions will also meet Qantas in a desperate bid to prevent cuts in the airline’s latest review of heavy maintenance work.
Mr Giddings said the airport was anxious about losing premium tenants such as Qantas.
“I’ve got a few ideas to try to make them stay a little bit longer, like securing additional work. We need to look at leases and things like that.
“Ultimately, however, it’s a matter for Qantas – we really can only play at the edges.”
Mr Giddings said discounting between airlines was driving carriers to continually tighten their budgets.
“It’s great for consumer and terrible for airlines and it can’t go on forever.”
A total 312 jobs are in the gun – 59 Qantas workers and 253 Forstaff Aviation contractors.
Australian Workers Union’s Ben Davis feared the jobs could be gone before Christmas.
“There’s enough work at the facility to last until the end of March but that could easily be taken offshore,” he said.
“Geelong must be wondering what it’s got to do to take a trick. First, it was Ford, then Shell, plus there’s Alcoa.”
Geelong Chamber of Commerce executive officer Bernadette Uzelac said the loss of the jobs would be a blow to the city’s economy, with many of the workers earning about $1500 a week.
