The united front presented by the AOA has begun to fracture as infighting and bickering take hold. Sources indicate the recent 'sick out' by Cathay pilots caught the AOA committee off guard and left them in a position which they do not know how to handle.
A group of young Turks from Discovery Bay have taken matters into their own hands and staged a non sanctioned “sick out” The AOA have warned them to pull in their heads; stick to the plan and don’t antagonize the CX Management. Without further rises in subscriptions the AOA will not be able to support the “49er’s” and the prospect of more sackings fills the committee with dread.
Of equal concern is the growing numbers of pilots becoming disenchanted with the direction that the AOA is taking them. An inevitable drain of numbers after the 22nd will further dilute a weakening support amongst the rank and file. The hardliners are desperate to rally support with anxious cries for proxies.
Meanwhile the President is on leave. The absence of the General has left the 49er’s in charge and any voice of reason is lost.
The EGM will prompt a management response. There could be more sackings. The sad result of this will be to further split the AOA down the middle. The hardliners will fight to the finish and eventually disappear. The moderates will see this fight is not winnable and abandon the AOA.. Every 50 they sack weakens morale and dilutes the AOAs’ stance. Further sacking will cause more pilots to split from the ranks and that will destroy the united front.
Personally I believe the AOA committee is scared of what will happen next. Between a rock and a hard place they have to go ahead and up the industrial action to appease the 49er’s while knowing that the chances are the action will just create more waifs to support. Sitting back and waiting is not an option now. Problem is next week the dispute will be front page news again as hundreds of pilots march to the EGM. The publics’ patience with the pilots is diminishing as the days pass and once again an “in your face” demonstration.
The AOA have run out of options as the power base crumbles. The option of continuing to fight, will pour money down the drain, fracture the membership, some may lose their jobs, and run a great airline into the ground. The company has no interest in returning to the negotiating table. The new rostering system has been incorporated. The B scalers get a payrise and now the ball is in the AOAs’ court to end this fiasco.The longer they refuse the more money they waste and the more goodwill they lose from the passengers. Its up to the AOA now. Do you want to help or to hurt?
