Choice. Yes. What a load of tripe, PAF.
Believe me mate, I have done the military thing, and I know where you are coming from. As I am, most in the military are right wing conservative. BUT, you my friend have apparently seen only the military and what you read in a text book. And believe me too when I tell you that you lead a terribly sheltered existence, because I did too.
I got a little bit of a shock when I came into the big scary world. And I realised that text books are irrelevant and there are employers out here who don't read 'em either. Collectively, they want one thing. That is - cost reduction. And they will stop at nothing to achieve it. They don't give a sh1t about your concept of choice.
And whilst our respective associations are as weak as p1ss, they are something that we can hang our hat on. They make the occasional earth shattering break through (like the Captains car park, and no foil trays!
) and for these little triumphs we are grateful. They hopefully prevent our profession from spiralling into oblivion.
But the main point here is CHOICE. OK, so I've made the choice to come to QF, supposedly the ultimate job in Aussie Aviation. But you are advocating GOD's antics with fanatical cost reductions and the associated anguish caused to employees of airlines Australia wide, on the basis of "well YOU made your choice!" Hmm, well, what would you have me do, PAF?
That is absolute bullsh1t my friend. It is a simplistic cop out. When you have spent a little time in the REAL world, then please feel free to lecture all about your economic theories. Until then, that is all they are. Theories.
Cost reductions are fine, but in this case they have gone too far and are having an inverse effect upon the bottom line. Staff are disenfranchised and so are the punters. There is a limit, and we have definately reached it.