Rex agrees pilot terms after "arduous" 4-year negotiation

Rex pilots who fly its regional routes have agreed to a new industrial agreement after an “arduous” four-year negotiation. It follows the Australian Federation of Air Pilots voting for a series of work bans in June and Rex countering that the union had distributed “malicious, misleading and deceptive” material to its members. The airline’s HR manager, Paula Tran, called the talks “protracted” but said the final deal was a “fair and reasonable outcome”. Overall, 86% of pilots who fly its 61 Saab 340 turboprop aircraft to 58 regional destinations voted in favour of the new four-year deal. “These high endorsement rates demonstrate a very healthy culture of trust and collaboration between the company and its staff,” said Tran. “We wish to thank all our dedicated staff for going above and beyond at these difficult times and this support will help us maintain the strong, positive momentum we have achieved in recent months.” The agreement will now go to the Fair Work Commission, which is expected to ratify the deal imminently. Rex had earlier said the union’s action to seek stoppages in June was “beyond belief” and added its then-offer was “substantially better” than one accepted by the same union on behalf of QantasLink pilots in 2021.<br/>