QF Engineers set to strike !

[Platy]

I actually think that cRudd will stay out of this one - the govt is being slam dunked at the moment with the rejection of Fuelwatch, Iguanagate, Olympics, giving $ to Toyota for no reason etc etc.

Yes, Rudd will stay out of it. But not because of trivial Liberal Party 101 anti-Rudd rant "reasoning", which opinion polls blow right out of the water. Of course this is partly due to the staggeringly ineffectual performance of Nelson et al and their complete lack of any ability/inclination to articulate any alternate solution to the real challenges facing us all whilst seeking to destabilise a sizeable list of forthcomng legislation in the Senate.

 

[Platy]

Ha ha - funniest post so far in this thread - Rudd government actually do something that impacts people without an inquiry or summit or commission? How on earth would their backbenchers get their extra allowances and overseas trips?

Maybe a little reality check will balance the humour?

1. Many are criticising Rudd for trying to do too much (rather than too little)!
2. The opposition are blocking countless bills in the Senate

 

[simongr]

Maybe a little reality check will balance the humour?

1. Many are criticising Rudd for trying to do too much (rather than too little)!
2. The opposition are blocking countless bills in the Senate

Talking about doing a lot of things is not the same as acting as an agent of change. They are trying to do a lot but little of what I seem them doing addresses in real terms the challenges that people face.

 

[Platy]

Time for Rudd and his IR people to step up here and get something resolved in the national interest, it is part of their job. I don't doubt that something is in motion behind closed doors but they seem to be dragging the chain.

Maybe they could start by removing the anachronistic protectionism for Qantas and start spreading the Gov contracts between the airlines

 

[Platy]

Talking about doing a lot of things is not the same as acting as an agent of change. They are trying to do a lot but little of what I seem them doing addresses in real terms the challenges that people face.

So what would you like them to do in this case (QF engineering dispute)?
What has the opposition said it will do?

 

[rhjames]

Was this a share ownership scheme?

Such a solution would seem to be of merit to me.

Oh yes, I've never heard of company management being shy of giving themselves a bonus, with or without a profit, and with or without spectacular failings on their part ).

Well you've heard of one now. 2% of profits were shared amongst all employees, from top to bottom (about 100). After a few years of very significant profit sharing, the market crashed, we had a loss year, and no bonuses to anyone including senior management. The union hated it because they had no control over it. However, as I said, all hell broke loose because we didn't pay profit share when there was no profit. The workers had come to depend on it each year, and didn't have the mentality to take the good and the bad. I believe this sort of scheme can only work with a very small company due to this problem. While things were good it was fantastic - waste was down, productivity up. Everyone saw waste of anything as money out of their pockets, which it was.

 

[Platy]

Well you've heard of one now. 2% of profits were shared amongst all employees, from top to bottom (about 100). After a few years of very significant profit sharing, the market crashed, we had a loss year, and no bonuses to anyone including senior management. The union hated it because they had no control over it. However, as I said, all hell broke loose because we didn't pay profit share when there was no profit. The workers had come to depend on it each year, and didn't have the mentality to take the good and the bad. I believe this sort of scheme can only work with a very small company due to this problem. While things were good it was fantastic - waste was down, productivity up. Everyone saw waste of anything as money out of their pockets, which it was.

Thanks for sharing such an interesting case. It seems a shame that a bad year ended up outweighing the obvious benefits of the good years!

 

[codash1099]

No not big - 5% we are quibbling over 2%. Pure realism.

No, we are quibbling over less than 1%. The media may quote a 3% offer but the offer is 3% + 1% super, which in total equates to something above 4%.

 

[simongr]

So what would you like them to do in this case (QF engineering dispute)?
What has the opposition said it will do?

I don't want the Govt to do anything - I don't see that as the role of govt. I was just amused that someone suggested Rudd would/could do something useful.

 

[oz_mark]

I don't want the Govt to do anything - I don't see that as the role of govt. I was just amused that someone suggested Rudd would/could do something useful.

Maybe while he is fixing petrol prices (that large numbers of people seem to think he can control), maybe he can fix JetA at the same time, and take that price out of the equation

 

[jpk]

Talking about doing a lot of things is not the same as acting as an agent of change. They are trying to do a lot but little of what I seem them doing addresses in real terms the challenges that people face.

Yep. An approach that i am sure we have all seen colleagues doing - it is not what you are doing, but what you are seen to be doing.

Sometimes you are more effective concentrating on a couple of things at a time and getting them done, than attempting to do a million things at once and getting nothing done.

Hmmm this is turning into OMNI

 

[Mal]

Accusations of Qantas strike blacklist | The Courier-Mail

UNIONISTS could face heavy fines if accusations of intimidation during the ongoing Qantas engineers dispute are proven.

The Federal Workplace Ombudsman is investigating a "blacklist'' of strike breakers which is circulating in the industry to allegedly intimidate non-union members who could potentially be called in to do the work of striking engineers.

 

[Platy]

Accusations of Qantas strike blacklist | The Courier-Mail

...read on...which is illegal under IR legislation and is NOT supported by union bosses...

 

[Mal]

Qantas, engineers agree to new pay talks - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

There has been a breakthrough in the dispute between Qantas and its engineers, but the development will not prevent another day of disruption for passengers.

The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) has called off two stop work meetings scheduled for next week after both parties agreed to resume negotiations on a stalled pay offer.

 

[NM]

...read on...which is illegal under IR legislation and is NOT supported by union bosses...

Not publicly, at least. Any indication otherwise would confession of illegal activity.

 

[Platy]

Not publicly, at least. Any indication otherwise would confession of illegal activity.

Perhaps, but either way it's case of damned if they do (the right thing) and damned if they don't (do the right thing)

 

[serfty]

Perhaps this whole thing relates to an effort by the union to get access to some of the remaining 'offal' in the emptying 'trough'.

In real terms the LAME members can inflict real financial damage on Qantas through simple (hopefully legal) (in)actions.

Already, through this action, Qantas have had some work, previously slated to be done in Oz, done off shore.

IMHO, %%%'s are not important - what many of the LAMES are looking at in reality is either:

1. 103% of their current wage/salary, or
2. 0% of the same + redundancy

It seems the union leaders have cornered themselves and are willing to risk not having anyone to represent rather than accept the reailities of life.

Remember, Qantas offered the status Quo - a direct inflation related increase - which at the time of the last offer was 3%. In reality Qantas would prefer to completely outsource the whole division ... the current situation is making it easier for Qantas to do so ...

 

[jpk]

Remember, Qantas offered the status Quo - a direct inflation related increase - which at the time of the last offer was 3%. In reality Qantas would prefer to completely outsource the whole division ... the current situation is making it easier for Qantas to do so ...

Yep, Geoff must be loving it. Send the expensive stuff like D checks to Asian facilities, and do the A checks and daily maintenance at LHR and LAX where the birds are on the ground most of the day anyway.

He has been quoted as saying he doesn't care about customers or staff, just shareholders. The cheaper he can do things the better in his eyes.

The union needs to be very careful here me thinks.

 

[oz_mark]

He has been quoted as saying he doesn't care about customers or staff, just shareholders.

Obviously no concept of the fact that to maximise returns to shareholders, you do need to concern yourself with customers and staff. All about finding the right balance, but then these views are what happens when you are motivated by short term factors rather than long term ones.

 

[NYCguy]

He has been quoted as saying he doesn't care about customers or staff, just shareholders.

With that attitude, there are many companies at which he wouldn't even get a middle-management role, let alone the CEO hat.

If you look after your customers and your staff, the shareholders end up being happy as well. The satisfaction of one group does not preclude the satisfaction of either one; or both of; the others. It's a pity that such an embarrassingly redundant management ideology still persists at Qantas - perhaps the company would do well to pack all their senior managers off to Wharton or HBS for a skills and attitude upgrade? Being a tunnel-visioned "hard-cough" will only cut it for so long; once it's worn thin, people realize that you're just a tired, lame, one-trick pony.