Qantas is facing another bout of industrial action from its biggest employee group a day after the airline upgraded its profit forecast for the second time in six weeks. Almost 100% of the airline’s 1200 domestic flight attendants voted in favour of protected strike action if the carrier does not offer a better pay deal. While no dates or scope for the industrial action have been set, the Flight Attendants Association of Australia said the demonstrations would minimise disruption to travellers to avoid airport chaos. The escalation of the pay dispute follows Qantas’ ASX announcement on Wednesday of a $150m upgrade to its profit forecast, to between $1.35b and $1.45b in underlying profit before tax, in the first half of its financial year. The carrier’s debt is now expected to fall to between $2.3b and $2.5b by December 31, about $900m more than forecast. Qantas’ enterprise agreement offer would extend domestic cabin crew shifts from 9.5 hours to 12 hours, and up to 14 hours if there’s a disruption. The proposed agreement also reduces rest periods to 10 hours, which concerns the union which said it would increase fatigue issues. Qantas has offered 3% annual pay rises to its workers after they accepted a two-year wage freeze when planes were grounded because of COVID-19. About 33% of the carrier’s employees, or 6500 people, who are covered by an enterprise agreement have signed up to a post-COVID agreement.<br/>