Some of the opprobrium directed towards RDC comes from
Hero pilot Richard de Crespigny takes sides with Qantas in IR war
He went on to the front page of the Australian, shortly after the airline was shutdown during an IR dispute, and used his notoriety to throw his colleagues under a bus. This was perhaps to advance his own prospects at a management job as all pilots know the consequences of speaking to the media ‘out of school’. It was a betrayal.
Interestingly, seven years later, RDC continues to enjoy those legacy conditions he railed against.