I think a lot of you are missing the point.
We want jobs kept in Australia. QF are doing it to save $$. Or maybe it's because if they make a better profit by saving those $$ Mr Dixon gets a whole lot more cash in his already big fat back pocket!! It's his own personal agenda!
You can only work for one company if you want to work longhaul out of Australia. And thats QF (that includes Australian cause you're an employee of the QF group!).
Unfortunately Floaty, I don't have the priviledge of having a UK passport and also living on 2800 a month with the cost of living over there is really not so appealling to me!
There is also the small fact that there are a good number of Australians on a "list" here for a job with the big Q. Remember we've been told that we're suitable to work for them & when positions are available then we should get a start date.
Funny that positions open up in AKL & BKK and now it seems London will be next. Most of us have been offered nothing. Yet some have been offered a measly 10 mth contract which won't be renewed as they're hoping to have the bloody london base opened by then. Which in black and white means that JOBS WILL BE TAKEN FROM US!
It seems to be forgotten by many of you that Qantas is the "AUSTRALIAN AIRLINE" and the "SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA" Won't be that if we have a whole lot of whinging poms working for them complaining that they don't earn as much as their Aussie counterparts and they're tired because their minimum rest is shorter than that of the Aussies.
I work for a regional over here & I will fight this to the death through the unions, as will many others. Not purely for the selfish fact that I want MY job that has been dangling in front of my nose for the past 2 years, but because I want to secure it for others in Australia that have the dream that I have had my entire life.
It's ok for you to sit back there in the UK and say you'll do it for less money and lesser conditions. I'm sure you can do a lot worse with some of the budgo airlines over there. If you don't like it there are a billion other budgo airlines you can get a seasonal contract with. You also have something called the EU (as VS77 pointed out). We don't have that luxury over here - have you noticed that we're about 24 hours travelling time away from you!???! We're a one and only country sitting over here with 2 major airlines. Not a whole lot of options if you want to work as an FA.
Work for your own airline and leave ours alone!