I’m one of the older ones in VA, not quite retiring age yet, but heading towards it. Also been through the Ansett debacle where I had to sell my house, my car etc.
There are a few things that people need to bear in mind when having a go at the Company, and giving the proverbial finger to the mooted EBA.
1. 24 months ago VA was on its knees and so close to going bust it wasn’t funny. Bain, bless them, saw (presumably) financial potential in buying us out and took a punt on us. Enter COVID. Companies the likes of Bain, with a considerable amount of financial clout up their sleeves could have walked away and taken a 3-4% loss on their total finances. They didn’t.
2. All the little signs I see around the company point to owners that would like to see the business thrive. By this I mean new ipads, new IT systems, new ADL base, increase in number of airframes, rehiring of wide body crew etc etc. After all, they can’t onsell/IPO it if it isn’t well run and making money. For that to happen they need the staff onside as well.
3. This is not a perfect EBA. If it was a perfect one for the Pilots, it would’ve been a terrible one for the company. And the opposite is true as well.
4. What we have, then, is a compromise between the two parties. There are always going to be areas of contention and disagreement, such is the nature of bargaining.
I know personally some of the management pilots involved in the bargaining process. They are individuals of the highest integrity and would never try and force something unspeakable on us. They’ve been given a mandate by VA to reduce costs (I think 15%) and they have endeavoured to do that in the least painful way.
I for one will be voting FOR this EBA. I believe in the current climate, it’s the best outcome for us all.
We won’t go hungry and we won’t be out on the streets, something that we came perilously close to a short time ago.