The industry response to cost base increases was to out source and utilise contractors.
Predicated on unlimited supply significant savings were achieved. At the apex of this contractor model is Ryan Air.
As the industry matures and supply issues persist eventually pilots will be seen as an asset to the employer, not simply a cost.
With this announcement at the stroke of a pen, some Coward (pun intended) 'outsources' another cost to a contractor; moving states.
As the Colgan air accident uncovered, 'flags of convenience' for airlines with respect to contractors and location in order to minimise liability are slowly becoming a thing of a more adversarial time.
For the people affected, sadly this is the contract world, just as big corporates like it.
The positive is that demographic pressure will eventually be the death knell for shoddy practices like this, where QF own the aircraft and move them back to Sydney, but the people are left to fend for themselves.
Contractor work forces are a bit like mercenaries, will do the fighting but ultimately nothing is owed them.
Plenty of alternatives these days