Next time you see your Virgin Australia flight attendant grinning from ear-to-ear know that it’s not just because she/he loves their job.
It’s because she or he is among the union members set to receive a pay rise of four to 10 percent over a four-year period.
The announcement comes after crew voted in favour of an enterprise agreement designed by the Transport Workers’ Union to improve the airline and make it more sustainable in the long haul.
Overall, some 90 percent of Virgin staff voted in favour of the deal after reject two previous proposals, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Around 2,100 short-haul cabin crew were part of the agreement.
Staff employed under Virgin’s budget carrier, Tigerair were excluded from the deal, however, it could very well include former The Bachelor star, Sandra Rato, who was recently hired by the airline.
Prior to receiving the new arrangement, Virgin’s entry-level cabin crew hadn’t received a pay rise since 2010 and others since 2012.
According to SMH, by 2018, the lowest paid Virgin flight attendant will be on a base salary of $55,165, up from the current $38,075.
The extra cash from flight attendants comes after the airline’s recent cost-cutting delivered a drastic improvement in Underlying Loss Before Tax for the year ending 30 June 2015.
Earlier this year, Virgin was voted the most seductive places to work thanks to its fun vibe, attractive branding and interesting founder, Sir Richard Branson.
It was the airline’s second time winning the annual Randstad Award. The airline beat its rival, Qantas, which was ranked at number five.
