PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Qantas terminates long haul cabin crew agreement, demands more flexibility
Old 23rd Feb 2022, 20:10
  #180 (permalink)  
KRviator
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Cab of a Freight Train
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Originally Posted by CamelSquadron
We now have ultra low 4% unemployment with a shortage of staff in many industries. This is a weakness in QF's position. If it pushes too hard, it will lose its best staff to other industries/competitors leaving only the deadwood behind and it may even face a staff shortage. This can bring companies undone - losing the undervalued high performing staff whilst retaining the underperforming deadwood - but this doesnt happen overnight.
This is precisely what has happened on the Sydney rail network over the last few years.

Sydney Trains is one of the lowest-paying rail operators in the country, whose employees live in one of the most expensive cities in the country so a great many of them get a start there, get their qualifications and then move on, either to regional freight, or to the Pilbara operators doing a 2/2 roster on nearly double the salary. ST don't like recruiting for new Driver's as it leaves them exposed to the question "Why are you always recruiting? Why can't you retain staff?" In turn, ST becomes reliant on the remaining crew doing OT to cover the roster, and when those crew decide they don't want to do that OT anymore, the network collapses. The same thing happened in 2004, it just goes to show management never learn from their mistakes.

QF would do well to learn from the mistakes of others and offer a carrot to entice crew to become cross-qualified rather than taking a massive stick to their workforce.
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