Qantas workers call off Friday's strike

[arraitch]

From Qantas workers call off Friday's strike - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):

Qantas baggage handlers, caterers and ground crews have called off strike action planned for Friday.

<snip>

The TWU's Scott Connolly says the prospect of lengthy delays during the holiday season was one factor in their decision to cancel the strike.

"The fact that we're in the peak school holiday period is a fact that's obviously playing on our member's minds and, as I've said, we're not about maximising the disruption to passengers, it's a show of good faith," he said.

 

[drron]

So they didn't realise it was School Holidays when they called the strike?
Call it off late the night before when the cancellations had already been put in place knowing the disruptions would happen anyway.
Sorry dont buy it.Just a clever trick that will fool many into believing they are reasonable.

 

[medhead]

But it is only school holidays in limited states. Pretty sure they finished in qld and NSW on Monday this week. If not Vic as well. SA holidays started this week.

Edit: SA could just be my kids school. As they have an extra week mid year. Oops

 

[Pushka]

Too late, the schedules were already modified. Kinda like a Terrorist threat - you have to make changes "just in case". And we cant have their holidays messed up, can we.

 

[jb747]

Too late, the schedules were already modified. Kinda like a Terrorist threat - you have to make changes "just in case". And we cant have their holidays messed up, can we.

And it would have taken about 5 minutes to have changed them back...or at least to have done so partially.

 

[oz_mark]

And it would have taken about 5 minutes to have changed them back...or at least to have done so partially.

From a scheduling perspective I can see that it should not be too hard. But as someone affected by the non-strike on Monday, over the weekend my flight was cancelled, was rebooked onto another flight, which then got delayed 2 1/2 hours, so I rebooked to an earlier flight which was now closer to my original flight time (which all involved 5 SMS messages from Qantas, 2 phone calls to Qantas, 3 phone calls from Qantas, several contacts from Zuji who I had booked through).

I dare suggest that contacting everyone and undoing all the schedule changes is not something that can be done in 5 minutes.

 

[jb747]

I dare suggest that contacting everyone and undoing all the schedule changes is not something that can be done in 5 minutes.

They wouldn't have to. A partial reinstatement of flights would simply mean that some seats are available to move some passenger...especially those who, on the reduced schedule, aren't going to get to fly at all.

 

[NM]

From a scheduling perspective I can see that it should not be too hard. But as someone affected by the non-strike on Monday, over the weekend my flight was cancelled, was rebooked onto another flight, which then got delayed 2 1/2 hours, so I rebooked to an earlier flight which was now closer to my original flight time (which all involved 5 SMS messages from Qantas, 2 phone calls to Qantas, 3 phone calls from Qantas, several contacts from Zuji who I had booked through).

I dare suggest that contacting everyone and undoing all the schedule changes is not something that can be done in 5 minutes.

I took the safer option and booked a non-Qantas journey this time. In over 30 trips to HKG in the last 4 years, this is the second time I have not flown Qantas - the other time was when redeeming FF points and there was no availability on QF flights but plenty of availability on CX. Now I see the benefits of the non-QF flight options including direct day-time flights in both directions, I have to ask myself why I would not continue to use this non-QF option for all futher flights? And I am not talking about a once-a-year holiday maker taking the cheapest fare available. My flights to HKG are generally fully flexible high-value fares.

So even the threat of strikes has resulted in further erosion of QF's international operations sustainability. How that can help preserve job security is beyond my comprehansion.

 

[Pushka]

And it would have taken about 5 minutes to have changed them back...or at least to have done so partially.

Not when they have already re-arranged passengers on alternative flights. Or do you think empty planes are an option?

 

[jb747]

Not when they have already re-arranged passengers on alternative flights. Or do you think empty planes are an option?

Read #7....

 

[Pushka]

Read #7....

From a customer's perspective, what you have suggested is nonsensical. As soon as you know that Union action has resulted in the cancellation of your flight you make alternative arrangements.