QF Engineers set to strike !

[mosanator]

Qantas engineers to strike | smh.com.au

Qantas strike set to ruin holiday plans - Yahoo!7 News

Could be problems for those of us set to travel in January !!!

 

[International Lady]

Of course Qanta$ will turn this into 'oh how could they do this to our passengers over Christmans?' story!

There are 2 sides to every coin and Qanta$ is getting away with at lot at the moment in regards to their industrial relations issues - enough is enough!

If this is the only way that the engineers will get what they deserve from a company making record profits (again) then so be it! There are other carriers to fly with over this period!

The staff took wage freezes when the company was going through SARS and the Gulf War, people took unpaid leave, and helped out however they could - but unfortunately doesn't work both ways!

Go the workers! You're the reason why I always travel Qantas!!

 

[Soundguy]

Go the workers! You're the reason why I always travel Qantas!!

Let me get this right - you fly Qantas only because of the staff and you actually want those staff to disrupt your Christmas break with a strike?

Christmas strikes remind me of the Keating era, they used to be like clockwork. Get used to it I guess.

 

[Reggie]

My thoughts for what they worth are, that people are entitled to strike, but they shouldn't be allowed to hold the public to ransom. Why is it that airline staff always choose Christmas or Easter to strike, and techer choose the first days of term. I have never seen teachers strike when the kids are on holidays. WHats the point, they want to cause maximum dusruption.

 

[Keith009]

Whilst I am not opposed with the fundamental right to withdraw labour, I disagree with striking being anything other than the absolute last resort in resolving workplace disputes. There is no evidence to suggest that striking delivers a beneficial outcome that is over and above what can be achieved by less militant behaviour.

 

[simongr]

Yeah - fight the powers! Go the workers .... all the way overseas. Yet more short termism by the unions. QF is already considering off-shoring work and they have just been presented with another justification in teh business case.

Int'l lady - do you have any flights scheduled over the Christmas period that are going to be disrupted? What about FFers who booked that trip in a lifetime 355 days ago who are now looking down the barrel of missing that altogether? What about families trying to spend time together - are their "rights" less important than the engineers? Also given domestically QF have a 60% share of the market - just exactly who else is going to carry these people?

At least this is not as bad as the UK ground staff who are plannning to close 7 airports just so that new employees can get access to a defined benefit pension scheme - not sure if you should be allowed to strike on behalf of someone who does not work at a business....

 

[serfty]

... - not sure if you should be allowed to strike on behalf of someone who does not work at a business....

Certainly can't break the "Secondary Boycott" industrial relations laws in Oz - this is unlikely to change under the new regime.

 

[Reggie]

I disagree with striking being anything other than the absolute last resort in resolving workplace disputes. There is no evidence to suggest that striking delivers a beneficial outcome that is over and above what can be achieved by less militant behaviour.

Drinking too much champers during the festive season QF009?:shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[moa999]

who are plannning to close 7 airports just so that new employees can get access to a defined benefit pension scheme

which is the real short termism.
Australias move to compulsory defined contribution super was a masterstroke - we have avoided the problem of massive underfunded benefits that are the noose around so many euro and us corporates

 

[Keith009]

Drinking too much champers during the festive season QF009?:shock: :shock: :shock:

I'd actually just got back from a night out when I posted this morning. But I still stand by what I said.

 

[International Lady]

Let me get this right - you fly Qantas only because of the staff and you actually want those staff to disrupt your Christmas break with a strike?

I only fly Qantas because I love the level of service I receive, I like the treatment I get, I like the down to earth Aussie style.

Don't read too much into what I (or anyone else here) writes as sometimes it's too difficult to get yr point across without people taking things out of context. Everyone is entitled to an opinion!

 

[straitman]

Don't read too much into what I (or anyone else here) writes as sometimes it's too difficult to get yr point across without people taking things out of context. Everyone is entitled to an opinion!

International Lady,

I agree entirely though the opposite must also be stated that everyone is then entitled to question that opinion, particularly when the poster does not clarify themselves as well as they should. ... and it happens regularly around here :!:

We ALL have the ability to give and learn heaps from this forum and to express our views politely, in detail and without ambiguity :!:

 

[Gazza]

Many people here and in other forum’s bemoan the steady reduction in service received when flying Qantas. A large amount of this reduction in service is directly related to staff remuneration, staffing levels and consequent effect of both on staff morale. Yet when something like this (a threatened withdrawal of labour after 12 months of failed negotiations) happens everyone harps on about how it will effect their own personal plans over a short period.

Qantas staff have a right to strike as do other people in our societies, its one of the basic rights that Australia (and other nations) are built on. This decision would not be taken lightly by the staff involved as it will effect how these people pay their bills and feed their kids.

Qantas has all the necessary infrastructure/people/cash/brand in place to be a top 5 airline. It has staff who in my opinion are the equal of any other airline.

It is painfully apparent to me (as a regular traveller) that QF management have NO long term plan that involves the goodwill of their staff.

Before anyone accuses me of being socialist, I am more economically right wing than Howard or Costello and have NEVER been a member of a union. I just don’t think I am the only person in society who has needs or rights.

Gazza

 

[JohnK]

Go on Qantas give them a 5% pay rise instead of the 3% pay rise you offered. It is not going to hurt your bottom line that much and if it does then just increase fuel surcharges to make up the difference.

I don't want my Queensland Mining Towns tour end of January jeopardised over a minor squabble....

 

[Reggie]

Go on Qantas give them a 5% pay rise instead of the 3% pay rise you offered. It is not going to hurt your bottom line that much and if it does then just increase fuel surcharges to make up the difference.

I don't want my Queensland Mining Towns tour end of January jeopardised over a minor squabble....

JohnK, you risk being called selfish and only thinking of yourself with these tyoes of comments, but I agree, til I get out of OZ on the 12th:mrgreen:

 

[simongr]

Go on Qantas give them a 5% pay rise instead of the 3% pay rise you offered. It is not going to hurt your bottom line that much and if it does then just increase fuel surcharges to make up the difference.

I don't want my Queensland Mining Towns tour end of January jeopardised over a minor squabble....

Just some quick maths - assuming the engineers are on A$85,000 - that additional 2% in the first year alone is a cost of $3,000,000. Add that to the other groups that elect to use the management submission to threatened strike action and you soon have a snowball effect...

I for one would be a tad nervous about your travel plans

 

[Platy]

Just some quick maths - assuming the engineers are on A$85,000 - that additional 2% in the first year alone is a cost of $3,000,000.

Well maybe we should put those figures into context.

Firstly, inflation is running above 4% and may approach 5% (thank you Costello and Howard) so the pay claim is in line with inflation.

Secondly, QF pre-tax profit is up 40% to over a $1 billion (an extra $400 million) so the pay claim is a fraction of extra profit (productivity has effectively gone up without due recompense to the employees).

Thirdly, Geoff Dixon and others at the top are earning HUGE salaries/bonuses, with a take home pay of $1.4 million more than last year out of a total of $6.7 million, despite totally misrepresenting the failed private equity deal.

Directors pay alone is up $2.2 million.

QF has 1700 engineers and is supposed fly willing to pay $100,000 for 6 month contracts to strike busters. It only has to hire 30 strike breakers to blow a $3 million budget over 6 months!

I am assuming fellow readers expect their own pay to have some relationship to CPI and/or employer productivity?!

Sources below

Qantas profit edges towards $1.5 billion | NEWS.com.au Business

Qantas (qan.ASX:Quote,News) now expects its pre-tax profit for the 2007/08 year to be about 40 per cent higher than last year's $1.032 billion result, or up by around $400 million dollars.

Crikey - Geoff Dixon, you've got nerve, $2.9 million of it - Geoff Dixon, you've got nerve, $2.9 million of it


"...Mr Dixon, was paid $6.7 million, up on the previous year's amount of $5.3 million. His pay was boosted by a cash bonus of $2.9 million, compared to around $1 million the year before.
That bonus because of the 53% rise in earnings, the 11% higher revenues and 8% rise in costs and from the sharp improvement in passenger numbers.
This is a board and senior management which had to be forced to provide trading updates during the bid which showed clearly the rebound in Qantas' fortunes and it was only an act of greedy stupidity by a New York hedge fund which sunk the offer when it was closing in early May.
The 2007 Qantas annual report reveals that directors have capped the volatile past 12 months (of their own making) by giving themselves a $2.2 million pay rise. That's $13.26 million, or up 21.8% on the pay in 2006...."

Radio New Zealand News : Latest News : Qantas seeks NZ engineering staff to break strike

 

[serfty]

... (thank you Costello and Howard) ...

[minor Rant]OT: So it's the fault of the ex Govt that interest rates have been rising, not the fact the economy is going gangbusters. Oh, sorry, it's not the previous govt than can take the credit for that, it's the China sourced resources boom.[/minor Rant]

 

[oz_mark]

[minor Rant]OT: So it's the fault of the ex Govt that interest rates have been rising, not the fact the economy is going gangbusters. Oh, sorry, it's not the previous govt than can take the credit for that, it's the China sourced resources boom.[/minor Rant]

While I agree with you, the problem the pollies have is that they like to take credit for the good things, and like to blame others when it is not so good. Truth is they only have a minor impact on the cycles.

My view on pay is that if I am not getting CPI, then I am going backwards.

 

[serfty]

While I agree with you, the problem the pollies have is that they like to take credit for the good things, and like to blame others when it is not so good.

Similar with an opposition, deflect credit away from govt when good things happen and pin it squarely on the Govt when it's not so good. It's their Job - this also happens during the first year of so of a party regaining power.

Truth is they only have a minor impact on the cycles.

It's about perception, selling and marketing.

My view on pay is that if I am not getting CPI, then I am going backwards.

CPI is always a good place to start negotiation ... .

Back OT: I think the real issue here relates to the following (from the original article):

...
By law, only a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer can sign for a jet to re-enter service after a maintenance check or a landing. ...

The union ... also opposes the employment of less-qualified engineers on lower wages.

What's relevant here is that if "less-qualified engineers on lower wages" can do these checks and still comply with legislation it would be prudent business practice for Qantas to have this happen. Less-Qualified does not mean "less able to do checks".