BIG Announcement coming from QF?
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Sorry, I'd love to share more info but they have threatened to call off the consultation process and make the decision without any union input if we dare speak of what is discussed at the meetings.... even the damn plain obvious!
That and the fact I don't want to get grilled in an interview again
That and the fact I don't want to get grilled in an interview again
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Empire4,
A well educated Singaporean with 6 kids who have grown up in a disciplined society with one of the best education systems in the world.
I accept your concerns, however they will contribute to Australia far more than much of the scum that has invaded our shores in the past decades. Welcome them with open arms because they don't come much better than that!
A well educated Singaporean with 6 kids who have grown up in a disciplined society with one of the best education systems in the world.
I accept your concerns, however they will contribute to Australia far more than much of the scum that has invaded our shores in the past decades. Welcome them with open arms because they don't come much better than that!
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When QF announced back in August they were putting off engineers, Mr Borghetti offered to take them on over in Virgin Aus.
Is this still going to happen?
Unless I have missed something in the media this generous and supposedly genuine offer has not been mentioned since August.
Is this still going to happen?
Unless I have missed something in the media this generous and supposedly genuine offer has not been mentioned since August.
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When QF announced back in August they were putting off engineers, Mr Borghetti offered to take them on over in Virgin Aus.
Is this still going to happen?
Unless I have missed something in the media this generous and supposedly genuine offer has not been mentioned since August.
Is this still going to happen?
Unless I have missed something in the media this generous and supposedly genuine offer has not been mentioned since August.
At this stage, as per correspondence yesterday, it looks like only 10 LAME's and 2 AME's in S.I.T. and 30 across the ports in line maintenance. If you're not looking at going yet, I think you're safe enough to stay. At this point in time that is, until the next round of shedding "excess employees".
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The numbers total 100 or there abouts
12 LAME from SIT
35 LAME from Base
23 AME from Base
2 AME from SIT
These are due to aircraft retirements
Plus 30 more LAMEs from Domestic as follows
12 SDT
10 MDT
4 ADL
4 BNE
These 30 domestic LAMEs are due to MoD.
But it still leaves the question unanswered about Virgin offering employment to those QF engineers who are made redundant.
12 LAME from SIT
35 LAME from Base
23 AME from Base
2 AME from SIT
These are due to aircraft retirements
Plus 30 more LAMEs from Domestic as follows
12 SDT
10 MDT
4 ADL
4 BNE
These 30 domestic LAMEs are due to MoD.
But it still leaves the question unanswered about Virgin offering employment to those QF engineers who are made redundant.
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Step right up, read all about it!!
While we are on the subject of 'Big Announcements' I am still awaiting the following to be announced as part of some future improvement and return to profitabilty plan for the Big Roo:
This is only phase 1 of returning the Roo back from stew.
Dear All,
Please see attached the 10 point plan that QF has undertaken effective immediately in an effort to return the airline to its' former glory as a profitable and reputable airline known for customer service, relabilty and safety;
1) Employment terms - Effective immediately QF executive management and board members have had their employment contracts terminated. For the interim a small group of management shall remain at the helm on reduced salaries paired with the QF Group's actual performance, profitability and overall value. Remuneration will be based upon global averages commensurate within the airline industry.
2) Bonuses - Effective immediately management bonuses have been removed. No bonus shall be reinstated until shareholder dividends have been paid out for a minimum of 2 consecutive years. Those potential bonuses will be capped and will have to be approved by an internal working group of senior frontline staff chosen or voted for by their peers.
3) Accoutability - Effective immediately all senior executives shall be held accountable for occurences within the QF Group that affect safety, financial viabilty, reputation and service.
For example any instance of unsafe practise leading to injury, price fixing, grounding, fines, regulatory action or legal recourse shall be attributed to the individual executive managers portfolio and that manager shall be held accountable.
4) Strategy and Direction - An internal working group has been put together comprising of Pilots, Engineers, Finance, Operations and Customer Service staff. Minimum requirement for these positions is 15 years service and all positions will be transparently voted for by colleagues and peers. This group will make up part of the strategy and direction for the airline and their input will be taken into account on each and every decision that affects the airline, whether it be fleet type acqusitions, the adding or reduction of ports, financial investments, outsourcing and future planning. No executive is permitted to act like a rogue and make decisions without consulting this working group of actual technical experts.
5) Aircraft and Maintenance overhaul - Effective immediately the aforementioned operational group shall review all aircraft types currently operated as well as review all maintenance facilities and contracts with a view to improving the business. Large changes to the current dismal structure are expected to be introduced within 30 days.
6) Share structure - Effective immediately and to be completed within 90 days no executive manager or management group collective will be permitted to own company shares, in the interest of transparency.
This will ensure that external shareholders including mum and dad investors will have an even authority when voting on executive remuneration packages. No longer will 'numbers stacking' be viewed as ethical, fair or reasonable. If an executive is underperforming as has been the case now for 3 years they shall be 'let go' in the interest of the airlines longevity and viability. In other words no single rogue has sole access to pushing the nuclear button and holding the launch key at the same time.
7) Consultants - Effective immediately no external organisation by way of a consultancy firm, service provider, agency or any other enterprise that is paid a sum of money by QF Group can have links to any QF individual employee including members of the Board or executive management team, their families or past/present managers. All proposed contracts will be examined and signed off on by members of the operational technical working group, as voted/approved by their peers.
8) Public relations - Effective immediately media statements and public relation exercises will only be undertaken by experienced PR staff. An immediate overhaul and removal of the current dpeartment has been agreed upon. QF will commit itself to honest, factual, non-spin reporting in an effort to regain credibility and trust of the public, passengers and staff.
9) Boeing 777 - Effective immediately QF commits to purchasing an undisclosed amount of Boeing 777's for it's operation and ridding the Group of old third wolrd workhorses passed their use by date.
10) Accounting - A process of honest transparent accounting practises between individual facets of the QF Group takes effect immediately. Monies will no longer be shuffled along unmarked corridors in an attempt to 'massage' the truth. Transparent and clear practise is now integral to the airlines ability to manage profit and loss and also allow the shareholder to see accurately what the status of their investment actually is.
Yours sincerely,
The top layer
Please see attached the 10 point plan that QF has undertaken effective immediately in an effort to return the airline to its' former glory as a profitable and reputable airline known for customer service, relabilty and safety;
1) Employment terms - Effective immediately QF executive management and board members have had their employment contracts terminated. For the interim a small group of management shall remain at the helm on reduced salaries paired with the QF Group's actual performance, profitability and overall value. Remuneration will be based upon global averages commensurate within the airline industry.
2) Bonuses - Effective immediately management bonuses have been removed. No bonus shall be reinstated until shareholder dividends have been paid out for a minimum of 2 consecutive years. Those potential bonuses will be capped and will have to be approved by an internal working group of senior frontline staff chosen or voted for by their peers.
3) Accoutability - Effective immediately all senior executives shall be held accountable for occurences within the QF Group that affect safety, financial viabilty, reputation and service.
For example any instance of unsafe practise leading to injury, price fixing, grounding, fines, regulatory action or legal recourse shall be attributed to the individual executive managers portfolio and that manager shall be held accountable.
4) Strategy and Direction - An internal working group has been put together comprising of Pilots, Engineers, Finance, Operations and Customer Service staff. Minimum requirement for these positions is 15 years service and all positions will be transparently voted for by colleagues and peers. This group will make up part of the strategy and direction for the airline and their input will be taken into account on each and every decision that affects the airline, whether it be fleet type acqusitions, the adding or reduction of ports, financial investments, outsourcing and future planning. No executive is permitted to act like a rogue and make decisions without consulting this working group of actual technical experts.
5) Aircraft and Maintenance overhaul - Effective immediately the aforementioned operational group shall review all aircraft types currently operated as well as review all maintenance facilities and contracts with a view to improving the business. Large changes to the current dismal structure are expected to be introduced within 30 days.
6) Share structure - Effective immediately and to be completed within 90 days no executive manager or management group collective will be permitted to own company shares, in the interest of transparency.
This will ensure that external shareholders including mum and dad investors will have an even authority when voting on executive remuneration packages. No longer will 'numbers stacking' be viewed as ethical, fair or reasonable. If an executive is underperforming as has been the case now for 3 years they shall be 'let go' in the interest of the airlines longevity and viability. In other words no single rogue has sole access to pushing the nuclear button and holding the launch key at the same time.
7) Consultants - Effective immediately no external organisation by way of a consultancy firm, service provider, agency or any other enterprise that is paid a sum of money by QF Group can have links to any QF individual employee including members of the Board or executive management team, their families or past/present managers. All proposed contracts will be examined and signed off on by members of the operational technical working group, as voted/approved by their peers.
8) Public relations - Effective immediately media statements and public relation exercises will only be undertaken by experienced PR staff. An immediate overhaul and removal of the current dpeartment has been agreed upon. QF will commit itself to honest, factual, non-spin reporting in an effort to regain credibility and trust of the public, passengers and staff.
9) Boeing 777 - Effective immediately QF commits to purchasing an undisclosed amount of Boeing 777's for it's operation and ridding the Group of old third wolrd workhorses passed their use by date.
10) Accounting - A process of honest transparent accounting practises between individual facets of the QF Group takes effect immediately. Monies will no longer be shuffled along unmarked corridors in an attempt to 'massage' the truth. Transparent and clear practise is now integral to the airlines ability to manage profit and loss and also allow the shareholder to see accurately what the status of their investment actually is.
Yours sincerely,
The top layer
Last edited by gobbledock; 23rd Feb 2012 at 05:59.
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gobbledock,
As great as that sounds, the Roo will be in the stew for a long time, IF it ever gets out of it. The announcements last week of "restructuring" accelerated the downsizing of QANTAS mainline, particularly the international arm. With international routes being eroded and aircraft numbers diminishing, it won't be long before QANTAS is just a name, being presided over by a few people, namely the dirty dozen, that suck it dry.
As each aircraft leaves these shores for the last time, that's another nail in the coffin for QANTAS as we know it.
As great as that sounds, the Roo will be in the stew for a long time, IF it ever gets out of it. The announcements last week of "restructuring" accelerated the downsizing of QANTAS mainline, particularly the international arm. With international routes being eroded and aircraft numbers diminishing, it won't be long before QANTAS is just a name, being presided over by a few people, namely the dirty dozen, that suck it dry.
As each aircraft leaves these shores for the last time, that's another nail in the coffin for QANTAS as we know it.
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Back on track yet? Ben Sandilands is and right on the money.
Virgin Australia piles leadership pressure on Qantas | Plane Talking
Sort of makes AJ's announcement look very weak indeed... completely full of holes... we knew it was bad but not this bad now JB has announced his results... doesn't say much about our financial journalist in the mainstream media.. be interesting to see if they pick up on this result and do the comparison with the numbers....
Virgin Australia, Qantas, and its leadership crisis
February 23, 2012 – 4:55 pm, by Ben Sandilands
Virgin Australia did its bit today to make news by adding to leadership tensions at Qantas.
Virgin Australia’s CEO and ex Qantas senior executive John Borghetti delivered astonishing first half year results, in which the smaller airline made more by way of statutory net profits after tax of $51.8 million than the entire Qantas group, which made only $42 million by the same measure in its results to 31 December as announced a week ago today.
Its tiny international operation made $35 million EBIT, compared to claims by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce that his group’s far larger Qantas long haul operation continues to lose more than $200 million a year, and unlike Qantas, Virgin Australia’s loyalty scheme earnings contributed comparatively little to the overall result, which was based overwhelmingly on profitably flying people rather than selling halo points to third parties like grocery chains or hotels.
If that wasn’t bad enough for Qantas, Borghetti also announced a plan to split the company into a domestic Virgin Australia Holdings company and a new unlisted Virgin Australian International Holdings unit with a view to greatly increasing investment in the domestic operations where both Qantas/Jetstar and its major competitor make most of their money.
The complex split plan, in which existing shareholders are given shares in the new unlisted international company by way of an in specie dividend, has a rather simple but unstated objective, which is to facilitate any desire by Etihad Airways or other interested foreign airline or institutional investor to buy their way into the share register as significant and rich equity partners who will help fund a major assault on the Qantas Cityflyer domestic trunk routes as well as grow the connecting traffic Virgin Australia is bringing to Etihad’s hub at Abu Dhabi.
This will require FIRB approval, and it might well be fought tooth and nail by Qantas, but it potentially allows an already profitable challenger airline group to fund ambitious expansion plans.
For Qantas, the pressure points are obvious. Joyce is being outflanked where it hurts, and has a poorly articulated Asia savior plan for a part owned premium carrier that is somehow going to fund the recapitalization of a shrinking and loss making long haul Qantas operation with profits from a venture that will be substantially owned by Jetstar’s most potent Asian competitor, Air Asia and based in Kuala Lumpur, a centre from which it will compete with the existing Qantas investment in Singapore as a combined Qantas/Jetstar hub.
Investor doubts about the rationality and practicability of the Joyce plan, in its various iterations, and their inherent absurdities and conflicts are growing by the day, including the Qantas CEO’s guidance a week ago today that he now wanted it to be ‘capital light ’ with a fleet that Qantas paid for in the smallest possible measure.
The ‘hello Asia, we want a free ride to take your business away’ message is not going down well, either in Asia, or in Australia.
Borghetti said Virgin Australia was committed to keeping up the competitive pressure on Qantas domestic business class and full fare services with a growing investment in Australian based jobs, including lifting its heavy maintenance work to more than 50% based in Australia rather than offshore.
He said there would be more and better lounges, more pride in its Australian identity, more involvement with its Australian employees, and better, newer, more efficient jets than Qantas could afford.
“We have forced business friendly fares down to the levels of 1996 on many routes in as little as a few months,” he said, which of course coincided with the period in which the Qantas industrial disputes and its locking out of its own customers caused major inconvenience and brand damage to the flying kangaroo.
Borghetti said the ‘Game Change’ program that had been expected to kick in during the second half of the financial year had produced results ahead of schedule.
He emphasised that Virgin Australia had not been in any discussions with Etihad Airways concerning its plans to split the group into domestic and international components that would have different shareholders, but that it had for some months been working with financial advisers on ways in which it could increase institutional investment in its major domestic business without breaching the foreign shareholder cap of 49% which was a condition for retaining its status as an Australian flag carrier in terms of securing and retaining overseas traffic rights.
In the wider perspective the differences in leadership at Qantas and Virgin Australia are becoming increasingly obvious. Virgin Australia has a work force in which many would be prepared to die in a ditch for the company, while Qantas appears to want many of its legacy work force to, if not die in a ditch, go away and allow it to replace them with younger, cheaper and less skilled pilots, several of which clearly should never, ever have been employed to sit in the right hand seat of Jetstar A320s given recent safety scares.
This is not to agree with some of the views pushed by protectionist or change resistant Qantas employees, but a criticism of the hostile attitude of management to labor in the Qantas group, and the lack of staff engagement that this causes, compared to the much stronger sense of joint purpose that has characterised Virgin Australia and its Virgin Blue predecessor from day one.
The Virgin story in Australia isn’t one of unalloyed management-labor harmony and bliss, but its has been, comparatively speaking, far more constructive and effective, and it shows very favorably in its service delivery and commitment to being Australian, or if you wish, true blue.
It’s a difference which is a potent factor, as acknowledged by Borghetti today, in a profit result which hasn’t slayed a giant, but has kicked it hard in the … shins.
An earlier similar report appeared in the Crikey Daily Mail.
February 23, 2012 – 4:55 pm, by Ben Sandilands
Virgin Australia did its bit today to make news by adding to leadership tensions at Qantas.
Virgin Australia’s CEO and ex Qantas senior executive John Borghetti delivered astonishing first half year results, in which the smaller airline made more by way of statutory net profits after tax of $51.8 million than the entire Qantas group, which made only $42 million by the same measure in its results to 31 December as announced a week ago today.
Its tiny international operation made $35 million EBIT, compared to claims by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce that his group’s far larger Qantas long haul operation continues to lose more than $200 million a year, and unlike Qantas, Virgin Australia’s loyalty scheme earnings contributed comparatively little to the overall result, which was based overwhelmingly on profitably flying people rather than selling halo points to third parties like grocery chains or hotels.
If that wasn’t bad enough for Qantas, Borghetti also announced a plan to split the company into a domestic Virgin Australia Holdings company and a new unlisted Virgin Australian International Holdings unit with a view to greatly increasing investment in the domestic operations where both Qantas/Jetstar and its major competitor make most of their money.
The complex split plan, in which existing shareholders are given shares in the new unlisted international company by way of an in specie dividend, has a rather simple but unstated objective, which is to facilitate any desire by Etihad Airways or other interested foreign airline or institutional investor to buy their way into the share register as significant and rich equity partners who will help fund a major assault on the Qantas Cityflyer domestic trunk routes as well as grow the connecting traffic Virgin Australia is bringing to Etihad’s hub at Abu Dhabi.
This will require FIRB approval, and it might well be fought tooth and nail by Qantas, but it potentially allows an already profitable challenger airline group to fund ambitious expansion plans.
For Qantas, the pressure points are obvious. Joyce is being outflanked where it hurts, and has a poorly articulated Asia savior plan for a part owned premium carrier that is somehow going to fund the recapitalization of a shrinking and loss making long haul Qantas operation with profits from a venture that will be substantially owned by Jetstar’s most potent Asian competitor, Air Asia and based in Kuala Lumpur, a centre from which it will compete with the existing Qantas investment in Singapore as a combined Qantas/Jetstar hub.
Investor doubts about the rationality and practicability of the Joyce plan, in its various iterations, and their inherent absurdities and conflicts are growing by the day, including the Qantas CEO’s guidance a week ago today that he now wanted it to be ‘capital light ’ with a fleet that Qantas paid for in the smallest possible measure.
The ‘hello Asia, we want a free ride to take your business away’ message is not going down well, either in Asia, or in Australia.
Borghetti said Virgin Australia was committed to keeping up the competitive pressure on Qantas domestic business class and full fare services with a growing investment in Australian based jobs, including lifting its heavy maintenance work to more than 50% based in Australia rather than offshore.
He said there would be more and better lounges, more pride in its Australian identity, more involvement with its Australian employees, and better, newer, more efficient jets than Qantas could afford.
“We have forced business friendly fares down to the levels of 1996 on many routes in as little as a few months,” he said, which of course coincided with the period in which the Qantas industrial disputes and its locking out of its own customers caused major inconvenience and brand damage to the flying kangaroo.
Borghetti said the ‘Game Change’ program that had been expected to kick in during the second half of the financial year had produced results ahead of schedule.
He emphasised that Virgin Australia had not been in any discussions with Etihad Airways concerning its plans to split the group into domestic and international components that would have different shareholders, but that it had for some months been working with financial advisers on ways in which it could increase institutional investment in its major domestic business without breaching the foreign shareholder cap of 49% which was a condition for retaining its status as an Australian flag carrier in terms of securing and retaining overseas traffic rights.
In the wider perspective the differences in leadership at Qantas and Virgin Australia are becoming increasingly obvious. Virgin Australia has a work force in which many would be prepared to die in a ditch for the company, while Qantas appears to want many of its legacy work force to, if not die in a ditch, go away and allow it to replace them with younger, cheaper and less skilled pilots, several of which clearly should never, ever have been employed to sit in the right hand seat of Jetstar A320s given recent safety scares.
This is not to agree with some of the views pushed by protectionist or change resistant Qantas employees, but a criticism of the hostile attitude of management to labor in the Qantas group, and the lack of staff engagement that this causes, compared to the much stronger sense of joint purpose that has characterised Virgin Australia and its Virgin Blue predecessor from day one.
The Virgin story in Australia isn’t one of unalloyed management-labor harmony and bliss, but its has been, comparatively speaking, far more constructive and effective, and it shows very favorably in its service delivery and commitment to being Australian, or if you wish, true blue.
It’s a difference which is a potent factor, as acknowledged by Borghetti today, in a profit result which hasn’t slayed a giant, but has kicked it hard in the … shins.
An earlier similar report appeared in the Crikey Daily Mail.
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Its tiny international operation made $35 million EBIT, compared to claims by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce that his group’s far larger Qantas long haul operation continues to lose more than $200 million a year, and unlike Qantas, Virgin Australia’s loyalty scheme earnings contributed comparatively little to the overall result, which was based overwhelmingly on profitably flying people rather than selling halo points to third parties like grocery chains or hotels.
This is not to agree with some of the views pushed by protectionist or change resistant Qantas employees, but a criticism of the hostile attitude of management to labor in the Qantas group, and the lack of staff engagement that this causes, compared to the much stronger sense of joint purpose that has characterised Virgin Australia and its Virgin Blue predecessor from day one.
As for staff engagement, well the only thing management engage with staff is constant conflict and constant threats to be more efficient or we will be out of business. Our only real competitor is the management of QANTAS, particularly the board.
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Capital light?
As for staff engagement, well the only thing management engage with staff is constant conflict and constant threats to be more efficient or we will be out of business.
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Virgins great interim result also highlights the ongoing role of consultants in Qantas's demise.
Oldmeadow had almost unlimited access to Dixon and reportedly has similar with Joyce. Interestingly, when his staff approached Borgetti to see if they could set up a similar deal with Virgin they were politely told to go away.
The new Qantas 'strategy' department is yet another example. Set up by Bain & Co, and manned by staff who have recently left that company, it has nearly 100 staff now, with more being hired every day. Reportedly salaries are good to very good in this new department.
In a lot of ways, Joyce cannot actually control much of what goes on in the company. Behoven to the ideological agenda of Clifford, and locked into massive long term deals with BCG, Bain & Co and Oldmeadow he has little choice but to go along with their 'vision' for the future of the airline.
I almost feel sorry for him.................
Oldmeadow had almost unlimited access to Dixon and reportedly has similar with Joyce. Interestingly, when his staff approached Borgetti to see if they could set up a similar deal with Virgin they were politely told to go away.
The new Qantas 'strategy' department is yet another example. Set up by Bain & Co, and manned by staff who have recently left that company, it has nearly 100 staff now, with more being hired every day. Reportedly salaries are good to very good in this new department.
In a lot of ways, Joyce cannot actually control much of what goes on in the company. Behoven to the ideological agenda of Clifford, and locked into massive long term deals with BCG, Bain & Co and Oldmeadow he has little choice but to go along with their 'vision' for the future of the airline.
I almost feel sorry for him.................
Mr. Sandilands gets it perfectly.
The obsessions of the Board and the Sydney push that tried to take Qantas private (The APA Boyz) are still driving the Qantas "strategy".
My guess is that Joyce will be the last to know he is finished. It will dawn on him only when Geoff Dixon stops ringing him and inviting him for a friendly drink and a chat.
Qantas is fighting the wrong battles at the wrong place and at the wrong time. It is counting on The Chairmans Lounge to get it out of trouble.
Oddly enough, if Rudd gets in, I would expect that Virgins plans will be given thumbs down by the FIRB - which is not an independent body and much given to political considerations in its decision making..
The obsessions of the Board and the Sydney push that tried to take Qantas private (The APA Boyz) are still driving the Qantas "strategy".
My guess is that Joyce will be the last to know he is finished. It will dawn on him only when Geoff Dixon stops ringing him and inviting him for a friendly drink and a chat.
Qantas is fighting the wrong battles at the wrong place and at the wrong time. It is counting on The Chairmans Lounge to get it out of trouble.
Oddly enough, if Rudd gets in, I would expect that Virgins plans will be given thumbs down by the FIRB - which is not an independent body and much given to political considerations in its decision making..
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Origins of the QF Board Discovered!!!
Scientists find limbless amphibians
13:00 AEDT Thu Feb 23 2012
Scientists believe they have discovered a new type of limbless amphibian that looks like an earthworm in northeastern India.
The pink hairless creatures, named Chikilidae, are one of about six potentially new species belonging to a group of animals called caecilians, which represent an entirely new family of amphibians.
They were found by researchers who spent five years digging for caecilians in over 250 spots across northern India, National Geopgraphic reports
Researchers said they were surprised to find the females are very dedicated mothers, and go without food for nearly three months to protect their young.
"The mother is guarding the eggs for almost 95 days without eating anything — always the mother is with her eggs," University of Delhi amphibian biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju said.
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Researchers said they were surprised to find the females are very dedicated mothers, and go without food for nearly three months to protect their young.
If the board were compared with maggots, that would be more appropriate. Feeding and living off a dying/dead carcass.
