QF CEO receives 'cowardly' death threat

[medhead]

You'll find that most of us dislike news limited as anything outside of perfectly normal operations with QF is considered front page news worthy, without doing the same level of reporting on other airlines that Australian's both know of and do fly. It's not that I don't believe that QF didn't have a go around on a certain day, it's just I don't consider that a problem despite how news limited makes its article out to look.

But in terms of receiving death threats I do believe that it's something which has happened, and I have my doubts that it's is a plot devised by management as it would (and has) become a police matter, and sending a death threat to yourself for the purposes of winning an argument is very strongly frowned upon (plus there is the whole wasting police resources which rarely ends well for the person making the fake allegations)

(As a side note, I've noticed of late quite a few of the QF bashing articles have been replaced with filler articles, one explaining why QF pilots are so good, the other following a QF FA around for a day, it's a bit of a strange turnaround from the QF is going to hell in a handbasket type articles they normally like to publish)

the problem is that on the one hand news limited are considered to have the lowest of journalistic standards and turn everyday occurrences into overblown stories on impending doom based on a preconceived bias against qantas.

Then we have this thread which totally accepts a story from these "lowest standard journalists". It then turns a possible union link into a certainty with an associated good kicking of all unions and union members (potentially all on the basis of a preconceived bias?). It seems ironic to me.

 

[Rebekkap]

All this is directed at me?????

Sorry but I didn't say anything about time lost to industrial action.

That was me - it is a long-term trend, but days lost to industrial action has continued to fall under the Fair Work Act.

http://www.deewr.gov.au/WorkplaceRelations/Documents/PDF/TrendsReport090310.pdf

 

[dfcatch]

the problem is that in the one hand news limited are considered to have the lowest of journalistic standards and turn everyday occurrences into overblown stories on impending doom based on preconceived bias against qantas.

Then we have this thread which totally accepts a story from these "lowest standard journalists". It then turns a possible union link into a certainty with an associated good kicking of all unions and union members (potentially all on the basis of a preconceived bias?). It seems ironic to me.

This is the problem with the world Medhead when you have a story that is instantly "plausible" in the eyes of the public......

A story that mentioned a young woman unhappy wih drunk footballers instantly raises "plausible" outcomes.........

See.... I didn't even make an allegation and you're all thinking the exact same assumption about the footballers......(doesn't mean they're guilty, but people do believe previous form increases credibility).


To give you another example which you would no doubt relate to.....

Tomorrow - News runs a story suggesting Tony Abbott has a secret file called "Workchoices II".
(Now I just made that up - so it's not true as far as I'm aware), but if the story ran (even on some made up union / ALP sourced leak) you would instantly assume it had at least "some" truth to it........ Previous form is powerful leverage when it's plausible in your own views....

 

[dfcatch]

That was me - it is a long-term trend, but days lost to industrial action has continued to fall under the Fair Work Act.

http://www.deewr.gov.au/WorkplaceRelations/Documents/PDF/TrendsReport090310.pdf

Cheers for that - interesting read.

Looks like it only goes to end-2009, so doesn't cover recent disputations, or the economy more recently.

Of course the issue right now for a lot of organisations is that previous EBA are now expiring and the unions have more lateral movement for collective bargaining under the FWA. Hence we're seeing them flex their muscle more.

Will be interesting to see that again with end-2012 figures when released (assuming the economy stabilises more).

Anyway - drifting OT - my apologies.

 

[medhead]

Workchoices II is not plausible. It is a long held ideological view of the liberal party so the file is just marked "workchoices".

 

[TonyHancock]

I'm afraid I very naive when it comes to media and communications so please excuse my noob questions.

Does it seem odd to anyone else that the union itself would be involved in sending death treats to senior QF people? Wouldn't the outcome, media support against the threats, be somewhat predictable?

Is it possible that the threats may have come from people who might be union members, and be an angry, niaive, and less than intelligent response to current events?

 

[nlagalle]

I'm afraid I very naive when it comes to media and communications so please excuse my noob questions.

Does it seem odd to anyone else that the union itself would be involved in sending death treats to senior QF people? Wouldn't the outcome, media support against the threats, be somewhat predictable?

Is it possible that the threats may have come from people who might be union members, and be an angry, niaive, and less than intelligent response to current events?

Yes you are correct. I highly doubt it would be from the union, but rather a member of the union.

 

[harvyk]

Is it possible that the threats may have come from people who might be union members, and be an angry, niaive, and less than intelligent response to current events?

Hard to say, more than likely it came from a couple of less than intelligent union members than the union as a whole. Unions have certainly been known to use intimidation and threats in the past, but I have my doubts that this was a union action, as making death threats can carry a jail term. I'd guess very few union seniors would be willing to put their name to something which has that level of risk attached.

 

[serfty]

the problem is that on the one hand news limited are considered to have the lowest of journalistic standards and turn everyday occurrences into overblown stories on impending doom based on a preconceived bias against qantas.

Then we have this thread which totally accepts a story from these "lowest standard journalists". It then turns a possible union link into a certainty with an associated good kicking of all unions and union members (potentially all on the basis of a preconceived bias?). It seems ironic to me.

Ok, let's go to Firfax then:

Death threats: Qantas pay spat heightens | Transport Workers Union

 

[Rebekkap]

Ok, let's go to Firfax then:

Death threats: Qantas pay spat heightens | Transport Workers Union

that article contains specific denials from the union.

 

[medhead]

Edit:
Ok I've changed my mind. Given the nationalistic language and use of a type writer it seem most likely the letter came from some xenophobic, redneck living in a mud hut near gympie.

Ok, let's go to Firfax then:

Death threats: Qantas pay spat heightens | Transport Workers Union

Certainly, since you've avoided calling all members of a union low life, gutter scum.

/aside I wonder if that includes members of the largest closed shop union - the AMA?

 

[VHOEJ]

In the Herald, Purvinas and some other union official are hinting that the letters are made up and not from a union. Seriously, they are kidding aren't they?

 

[harvyk]

that article contains specific denials from the union.

Well considering sending death threats is frowned upon by the law, I doubt that they would be quick to say, "yeap, we sent them, and we'd do it again" if it was them...

 

[nlagalle]

In the Herald, Purvinas and some other union official are hinting that the letters are made up and not from a union. Seriously, they are kidding aren't they?

They went as far to suggest the letters came from management.... But then I expected nothing less than that sort of response from the union..

 

[Rebekkap]

Well considering sending death threats is frowned upon by the law, I doubt that they would be quick to say, "yeap, we sent them, and we'd do it again" if it was them...

Considering that unions have both lawyers and PR people, I doubt they would be quick to send death threats.

It may well be a union member. Probably the doctor who hired prostitutes and then gave them cocaine and watched them overdose was a member of the AMA. Surgeon took coke as woman died, says escort

That doesn't make the union responsible, any more than it makes the AMA responsible for doctors who drug and kill sex workers.

 

[drron]

Are you suggesting TA is JG's puppet? That she is making him go after Thomson to remain PM? Interesting idea.

In any case, if this was first raised in 2008 why, oh why is brandis and TA bringing it up now. Just strange and happy coincidence that the government has a majority of 1 seat. I think not. The liberals are not banging on about a 3 year old issue out of concern for union members.


.

Nice try in twisting my words but no bananas.it isn't TA that has stood by Craig T but pressuring a fellow union Leader to stand aside from his party position.
it isn't the Liberals who have paid craig ts legal costs.
And TA and Brandis are pursuing the issue because there are a lot more facts out in public since the last election,even in the last week.Are you seriously suggesting that they should turn a blind eye to possible corruption?

 

[Rebekkap]

it isn't the Liberals who have paid craig ts legal costs.
And TA and Brandis are pursuing the issue because there are a lot more facts out in public since the last election,even in the last week.

New facts in the last week - like what??

And as for paying people's legal bills, I seem to recall Tony Abbott offering to pay the legal bills of Terry Sharples, because Mr Abbott was desperate to get rid of One Nation.

Oh, and then he lied about it.

Abbott says sorry in Hanson fund row - National - theage.com.au

As if he cares about corruption - he only cares about one thing: power.

 

[medhead]

Nice try in twisting my words but no bananas.it isn't TA that has stood by Craig T but pressuring a fellow union Leader to stand aside from his party position.
it isn't the Liberals who have paid craig ts legal costs.
And TA and Brandis are pursuing the issue because there are a lot more facts out in public since the last election,even in the last week.Are you seriously suggesting that they should turn a blind eye to possible corruption?

As I clearly said, TA is only going after this issue in a pathetic attempt to become PM. That is the starting point of this discussion. I still fail to see how Abbott trying to get the conviction (that was my assertion!) is an attempt by Gillard to stay in power. No twisting of your words involved, if anything the opposite.

As for facts being in public??? Public or not the real facts remain unchained since 2008, which might explain why the NSW police were not interested. Victorian police investigating is not a new fact.

In any case, like the shoplifting liberal in SA, this case is really none of the business of the parliament/liberals/the public. Public money was not involved, unlike say $50k of taxpayers money spent on private phone calls. The man has not, yet, been convicted.

 

[Rebekkap]

In any case, like the shoplifting liberal in SA, this case is really none of the business of the parliament/liberals/the public. Public money was not involved, unlike say $50k of taxpayers money spent on private phone calls. The man has not, yet, been convicted.

Not only has he not been convicted, he hasn't been charged with anything.

 

[NM]

Wake up, there is no proof this is official union correspondence.

I think we can be pretty certain the death theats are NOT official union correspondence. But the source is currently unknown to us. As I see it, there are a few possibilities for the source:

1. Union member(s) operating outside the union process and without union leaders' knowledge or approval
2. Someone trying to make the unions look bad
2a. Could be a QF employee
2b. Could be a general anti-union hard-liner
2c. Could be someone trying to manipulate the QF share price for personal financial gain

I suppose there could even be other possibilities that I am sure people can suggest.

While everyone may favour a different one of these options, all could be valid. Currently, there is no proof available to those of us just reading the media reports that shows the source is or is not someone associated with the unions that are currently in displute with Qantas.