Jettlager;
I see (as an outsider) like this. Qantas obviously has some verry skilled Industrial Relations officers on board, because they seem to have out manuvered you all. Like a Military Strategy, instead of attacking one of their larger slices of the workforce in one frontal assualt, they have split you guys up totally.
Here is how I have seen it. The Howard Govt has reforms in place that prohibit protected Industrial Action by a group unless specific actions have taken place (eg: negotiation of a EBA, negotiations breaking down, proper notice given etc). So, lets divide the Long and Short haul up, so one cant strike on behalf of the others. Also put them on seperate EBA, and make sure they dont expire at the same time. Now, we will write an ambigious "regional flying agreement". Now anyone we feel like can fly new aircraft (A330), anyone can fly into Asia. Now just train up some "eergency crew needed for the peak period" (strikebreakers/ fixed term crew) to crew the only Long Haul exclusive aircraft (B747), crew the rest of the capacity with overseas bases (NZ and BKK, now also London), and shift all regional flying to SH. There, LH outfoxed, EBA signed, has taken a few years in the making, but it worked hey?
Now the SH debate. SH must be feeling pretty good, getting all this flying, new aircraft etc. OK, start up a offshoot Jetstar, begin replacing domestic routes with Jetstar. LH can still operate A330 and 767 domestically and regionally, and hang on, so can these casuals from MAM (hmm... same office as the FAAA??) Now MAM are on a DIFFERENT EBA, no striking remember, so crew anything you like with them. Now tell SH crews that the number of places they can fly east/west of Australia will change, permanancy will become a thing of the past, and oh, negotiate? Nah, better of just telling you. If you dont like it, tough! Not like planes will stop flying...
Australian Airlines routes can be taken off them, and reinstated as a Qantas flight pretty easy, 767 can be flown by Long or Short haul, and even by MAM casuals.
So we have 5 individual groups that they can focus on one at a time (as EBAs get renewed) to whittle down conditions etc. And each group is in a corner, with (seemingly) no option but to say "OK" and sign away their lifes.
I hope and wish I am wrong. Lets hope the FAAA have an effective strategy to combat this. But the old "look after your own" thing seems paramount.
So in (a much needed) summary and conclusion, your short haul colleuges appear to have little choice about "stealing" the Long Haul routes. Just like the London Base seemed a forgone conclusion.
JB
Not that im saying that I agree with the above version of events, its just the way I see it. Can we get back on topic now perhaps?