I did hear that this at least one dash pilot that holds a mainline #
There are quite a few pilots with a "Mainline #" who joined pre-Covid, and then were
threatened with redundancy unless they took Leave Without Pay (LWOP).
Periods of up to five years were agreed by QF.
Many of those pilots returned to their previous or other employers (eg -Links or RAAF), which were less-affected by Covid, and resumed higher-than-SO pay and responsibility... secure in the knowledge that they now had that elusive 'Mainline #' in their back pocket. Many such pilots are yet to return to Mainline; what's the hurry when they have a seniority number, and to restart as an SO would be a substantial pay cut. Eminently sensible!!!
Ironically, QF is now apparently pleading with people to return
before their agreed LWOP term is expired. Strangely, there is not the same 'desperation' from pilots to return any more... an 'own goal' by QF? Time will tell.
