Qantas plans to cut about 850 jobs in Australia as part of a move to shift roles to India, the airline has confirmed in reporting that puts the change at its Sydney head office. The reductions follow a deal with Accenture, the professional services firm, under which work currently done by staff in Australia would be carried out offshore.
The affected roles are based at Qantas's head office in Mascot, Sydney. The cuts build on earlier reductions made at the same site, meaning the latest round adds to a sustained pattern of corporate staffing changes at the national carrier rather than standing alone.
Several key details have not been made public in the information available. The timing of the job losses is not stated, and it is unclear how many of the 850 positions will be affected in each stage. The full scope of the roles moving to India has also not been spelled out, and the terms of the Accenture arrangement have not been disclosed.
For the workers concerned, the change means losing local positions in Sydney while the functions they perform are transferred to an overseas provider. For the wider Australian workforce, the decision adds to a broader debate about how large companies are using outsourcing and offshore service centres to manage costs, a question that continues to affect office-based employment in the country's largest cities.
The announcement comes at a time when the airline industry in Australia remains closely watched by employees, unions and government stakeholders. Further detail on the timing, the number of roles in each phase and the commercial terms with Accenture would clarify how the change will affect staff and the Mascot site in the coming months.
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