Originally Posted by
ECAMACTIONSCOMPLETE
My concern is what would a protracted industrial dispute achieve?
The AFAP have already conceded that they will bargain within Qantas’ 3% wages policy and that even if we get what we want, we will still be the lowest paid airline pilots in the country.
All they seem to be arguing about at the moment is a minimum daily credit and an expansion of the high line allowance (which is an opt in system to get a dollar amount per duty hour in exchange for extra standby days).
These items aren’t personally that significant to me, but others may feel that it’s worth the fight. Back of the clocks are becoming overnights, that’s a massive issue resolved as far as I’m concerned.
What does rolling over and acquiescing to the companies demands with barely a whimper achieve? Beyond of course ensuring massive bonuses to an executive team who have already demonstrated a willingness to take money from your pocket, and put it straight into theirs (see 18 month pay freeze).
I honestly don't understand the position of 'oh well, sure, we're paid the least and do the most, and our management is cleaning up making millions, but thats ok I guess.' I don't mean to be disrespectful but you're never going to get anything in life unless you're prepared to fight for it. The company would happily pay us all minimum wage if they could get away with it, the fact that you're paid 100k+ a year is solely because people fought for it, and our labour is in limited supply.
This is legal, protected action. We're not asking to be the best paid pilots in the industry, not even close. We just don't want to be left miles behind in last place whilst others massively profit off us. I don't think thats particularly unreasonable.
To illustrate how absurd our position currently is, if we did get a pure 15% pay rise as the company claims we're chasing, we'd STILL be the lowest paid pilots of the major 4.
If that doesn't put our negotiation in perspective then I don't know what possibly could.