Paris Flyer
Having just read your post, I feel compelled to point out a number of issues I believe you need to be aware of.
"I then had a medical and I just returned from Melbourne after two weeks of intensive 12 hours a day training sessions. I heard back but now after I have done everything Qantas has asked me too I am waiting for the promised 3 month contract if it is even offered!"
At what point did alarm bells NOT ring for you? If this is how they treat contractors such as yourself (that is if, as you say, you are even provided work), how is it you believe you will be treated well in any attempt to gain permanent employment?
I don't know of many organisations (in fact, I don't know any at all!) that train people, and keep them in limbo for a 3 month period for the POSSIBILITY of being offered a 3 month contract.
"I accepted the position but not as a strike breaker. I see the position as one where I get to fly. I am not standing in the way of any of the current crew and i\'m not taking their jobs. What is so bad about being a strike breaker - think of it as work experience."
Unfortunately, you are incorrect in your assumption that you are NOT standing in the way of current crew.
Look at it from this perspective:
* Qantas is ramping up capacity at a huge rate, opening up new routes, etc. Therefore, there is a need for new crew.
* At the same time, QF intend on setting up a LHR base, with no guarantees on whether or not this is the only international base they wish to set up. This creates the threat of redundancies (and as contractor, you go first).
* You might want to ask yourself if you were good enough to be a contractor why you weren't afforded at least the option of going to London on a more permanent basis (?!?)
* At the expense of recruiting PERMANENT FULL TIME people SUCH AS YOURSELF, they intend on hiring overseas nationals on INFERIOR terms and conditions to those currently awarded to Australian crew (once the small number of Australian crew that have registered their interest have relocated). This creates a nasty imbalance where one workgroup is levered against the other during each round negotiations.
Without realising it (and I'm not apportioning blame to the contractors here, as most have had no awareness of the true nature of their employment), you have stood in the way of YOUR OWN permanent employment in the future. Remember that as a contractor, you are but one of many hundreds who MAY or MAY NOT get work over the 3-month period. And for what? Chances are you'll be lucky to fly one trip, let alone 3 months worth.
The whole purpose of this LHR base thing is to REDUCE COSTS of overnighting AUSTRALIAN crew in London. One aspect of this is to AVOID as much permanent employment as possible. Whilst it presents a current threat to the current crew, it does a great DISSERVICE to your own plans for the future.
As for your last line:
"What is so bad about being a strike breaker - think of it as work experience."
I will reserve my more colourful comments to say this...
You will rue the day you ever said anything so naive. You have a lot to learn not just about this industry, but life in general.
Congratulations on gaining your uni degree by the way. Chances are, you're going to need it.