I am mourning

[Reggie]

Well it is time to show my true colours being a West Australian. All I can say is don't blame me I voted Liberal.:shock:

Seriously though it will be interesting to see how it effects our travelling in the future, baggage handlers, FA's and checkin staf etc.

 

[steven s]

Don't blame me either, I voted for the best economic managers that this country has ever seen.

I think only time will tell how much it will affect people due to the change of government and the growing union movement planned actions.

It amazing me how people think, I sat next to a lady on Tuesday night on a flight from Cairns and she informed me how she voted for Dudd 07 and how the Howard government did nothing for her as a wife and mum. Then continued to tell me she was starting a business in 2008 and already got a $1500 grant from the Govt to start a new business and also another $3000 towards a course at any approved institution.

Also another one, my painter who between my businesses we give him about 50% of his work, informs me that the Labor party get in when the Liberals stuff the ecomony and have to fix it. Then when it is fixed the Liberals get back in and stuff it!!!!!!!

I give up wondering how some think about things in this country!!

 

[Alanslegal]

Seriously though it will be interesting to see how it effects our travelling in the future, baggage handlers, FA's and checkin staf etc.

More work, less money for Qantas crews | smh.com.au

just a cheeky maybe......... less pay, more hours = less satisfaction, more stress = lower service = more unhappy pax?

 

[simongr]

Am I the only one thinking it is a tad selfish of the existing crews to protect their own jobs at the expense of the new people coming in? Basically the new staff are funding a payrise for the xisting staff...

 

[moa999]

I imagine the issues it will cause onboard the plane - 'well you get paid 30% more than me - you can clean the toilets'...

I agree it is a very protectionist stance by the Union for current members only...
So much for all the Union Workchoices ads about families and to think how it would be for the children... the Unions have just sold the children a dud.

 

[milocole]

i think the airline industry could now start to get ugly

 

[Alanslegal]

I imagine the issues it will cause onboard the plane - 'well you get paid 30% more than me - you can clean the toilets'...

or the other way round, 'i get paid 30% more so i'm more superior, you can clean the toilets'

 

[milocole]

or the other way round, 'i get paid 30% more so i'm more superior, you can clean the toilets'

couldn't agree anymore

 

[Reggie]

or the other way round, 'i get paid 30% more so i'm more superior, you can clean the toilets'

or we are flight attendants, not cleaners, so either you a get a cleaner into do it, or it wont be done.Then when pax get upset we will all be out brothers and sisters in arms.

 

[Keith009]

I, on the other hand, am finally seeing the sun shining brightly and the birds chirping after 11 and a half dark years.

But we're still trailing in one of the seats I managed.

 

[serfty]

AFAIK, the sun rises and the birds chirp every day; this includes 1972, 1996, 1983 & 1975 -indeed any year.

So no real issue for me whoever "wins", although the $800 toward school fees would have been noice ...

Just glad it's over, with the media's 11 month campaign followed by the actual 1½ month campaign.

 

[milocole]

AFAIK, the sun rises and the birds chirp every day; this includes 1972, 1996, 1983 & 1975 -indeed any year.

So no real issue for me whoever "wins", although the $800 toward school fees would have been noice ...

Just glad it's over, with the media's 11 month campaign followed by the actual 1½ month campaign.

Labour are giving $750 for PUB education arnt they???, anyway the private school families would already have enough $$$$$$$$$, so thats why rudd isn't giving themt the dough, but i dont care who wins, in the end everyone just want money$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Platy]

or we are flight attendants, not cleaners, so either you a get a cleaner into do it, or it wont be done.Then when pax get upset we will all be out brothers and sisters in arms.

Well, perhaps it cuts both ways. The airline wants to pay people less by strictly matching dollars to duties, but then wants the flexibility to tell people what to do beyond this. They want to pay the check in folk less money on the grounds that they have reduced tasks inasmuch of not needing to print out boarding passes at the bag drop queues (and then let them cope with irate passengers when they don't replace 70+ staff positions). If you are being paid that strictly for exactly every duty assigned why the bejesus would you get your hands dirty cleaning a toilet unless it was part of your job???

Incidentally, how many of you have walked past a piece of litter on the floor of your own workplace, or ignored excess pages of toilet paper in a work or public loo (eg a QP one), or even cleaned your own mess up in a club lounge shower cubicle (eg. cleaned down the sink and towelled off excess moisture on the floor)?

If Kevin blunders you can blame me and the other 15% here in Cairns who switched their vote.

As far as travelling is concerned, I can't see it will make much difference - the airlines will continue to do their best to keep staff wages as low as possible and deliver the minimum sustainable levels of product/service whilst the executives hoover up excessive bonus payments in the $10s millions.

We have to wait and see if the new mob will reverse some of the less passenger friendly policies of the Howard gang such as removing restrictions on overseas airlines (eg. Emirates, Singapre on the OZ-US routes), or get more serious about passenger safety (reverse the removal of secondary weather broadcast aerials, strengthen CASA) and security (actually get fully checked in bag screening instead of talking about it for fully 6 years post 9-11 etc).

In the meantime, Rudd's first actions to stick by and measure delivery of policy promises, hold ministers accountable and install performance standards would seem to be prudent and refreshing steps to more efficient, accountable, and open government.

 

[milocole]

As far as travelling is concerned, I can't see it will make much difference - the airlines will continue to do their best to keep staff wages as low as possible and deliver the minimum sustainable levels of product/service whilst the executives hoover up excessive bonus payments in the $10s millions.
t.

well someone working for Jq is a good example of a salary going from 500,000 to 5mill

 

[Platy]

Don't blame me either, I voted for the best economic managers that this country has ever seen.

Actually, the introduction of the GST virtually destroyed my small business. Firstly, my clients stopped spending in anticipation of the unknown impact of the new tax and secondly the government introduced PAYG arrangements by stealth on corporate tax so for one year we were paying current year as well as past year tax based on the estimated tax from a previous very good year.

Incidentally, any fool can cut expenditure and appear to be a good economic manager. Only the very few wise ones can be thrifty without creating downstream negative impact (neglected infrastructure, run down essential services, loss of vital mix of skills). To bring this back to frequent flyer land, much of our discussions in other posts has centred on whether cost cutting by QF impacts our life as regular flyers and whether it reflects business prudence or short term profit gouging with an unmeasured downstream cost in lost passengers, etc.

 

[Platy]

I agree it is a very protectionist stance by the Union for current members only...

Actually, the awards negotiated by unions (for those on salaries under $100k) will set a benchmark for all under Kevin's plans. For example, my partner who works for a major pathology company based in Brisbane has just won a 15% pay increase under an EBA (enterprise bargaining agreement) for ALL staff, union and non union members alike.

For those over $100k (including my fellow travellers from WA, who may or may not be working in the mining industry) you will still be at liberty to negotiate a contract of employment and fully enjoy the fruits of the commodities boom.

Incidentally, the next time you get on a plane and take your safety for granted, you might consider that some union "thug" is prepared to put their hand up and protect your wellbeing, if they feel that something isn't being done right.

Happy and safe flying .

 

[codash1099]

More work, less money for Qantas crews | smh.com.au

just a cheeky maybe......... less pay, more hours = less satisfaction, more stress = lower service = more unhappy pax?

and if it was the reverse, who would be first to scream that it's going to have an impact on fares?

 

[moa999]

my partner who works for a major pathology company based in Brisbane has just won a 15% pay increase under an EBA (enterprise bargaining agreement) for ALL staff, union and non union members alike..

And if that occurs through the economy we are in for a serious wage-inflation-interest rate upward spiral
until the economy clips and unemployment starts rising

 

[serfty]

... Incidentally, the next time you get on a plane and take your safety for granted, you might consider that some union "thug" is prepared to put their hand up and protect your wellbeing, if they feel that something isn't being done right. ...

Even if it means lying? Home truths about those Qantas staples

 

[Platy]

And if that occurs through the economy we are in for a serious wage-inflation-interest rate upward spiral until the economy clips and unemployment starts rising

Ah, now you are direct opposition to John Howard in his last ditch defense of rising interests - "they are necessary if we want to increase the employment rate".

In reality, the recent trend has been for productivity to increase beyond the rate of wages - thus companies have been enjoying greater productivity, but been delivering relatively a lesser part of the pie back in wages to the employees who have enabled such productivity gains. Hence increasing company profits and the large corporate tax takings contributing to federal coffers and the huge surplus.

The pay rises in my partner's case largely reflect the low supply of skills - it is getting hard for this company to attract competent graduates and risky for them to train staff (1 year plus) since they can simply walk to another better offer once they become competent. They must both attract and retain staff. Intriguingly, ways to do this beyond actual cash, are very under explored.

In times of high employment/low employment the question of skills supply becomes part of strategy to avoid the wage-inflation-interest rate cycle. Hardly surprising that addressing the skills shortage is a key part of the Rudd policy.

Incidentally, with rising inflation it is also a problem spending the huge budget surplus, even though infrastructure, health, education all need attention after years of neglect. This is why it is doubly negligent for the outgoing government to have failed to redistribute our taxes into essential areas on an ongoing basis. Good economic managers, eh?

Oh yes, if we were generally more savings focussed rather than debt focussed higher interest rates might not be such a bad thing!