SYDNEY - Qantas pilots have offered to increase their workload by 10 per cent in exchange for a slice of the airline's record profit.
Some pilots could be in line for an income boost of up to 20 per cent under the deal, to be hammered out innew enterprise agreement negotiations, Fairfax reports.
The carrier posted a A$1.1 billion ($1.3 billion) profit last financial year.
"It would be a good deal," president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, Captain Ian Woods, said.
"But, by the same token, if Qantas' performance isn't as good in future years, we risk money."
Passenger safety would not be compromised by pilots taking on increased flying hours, Captain Woods insisted, referring to regulations that prevent international pilots from flying more than 900 hours a year.
"The way pilots are currently rostered means we have not gotten anywhere near that legislative cap," he told Fairfax.
"There is no safety issue whatsoever in getting 900 hours up, provided that the new rostering is responsible."
The proposal comes after this week's deal between Qantas and unions representing long-haul cabin crew to increase work hours of new staff by 30 per cent while cutting their wages by 25 per cent.
