OK Fine.
m00ving_on
When has management ever threatened to take away career progression?
True many, many years ago something should have been done about the base salary, however I believe previous crew have been assertive to achieve things like meal allowances, payments for working past 2200 before days off, substantial payments for working on ddo etc.
You say "pay us accordingly for the work we do and reward us for our loyalty and service with the right to progress to mainline".
How were past crew going to be able to achieve this when it will be impossible for current crew like ourselves to achieve such outcomes?
I agree with you totally 99% of crew would leave if progression to mainline was not available and I also agree with you that we should not let progression get in the way of negotiating better conditions.
However, the FAAA has always said to us progression has nothing to do with the EBA and can not be negotiated during the EBA it is a totally seperate issue. However it was the company that introduced progression as industrial blackmail during the last EBA which can be evidenced from this gem which formed part of a newsletter dated 18 June 2003 after our last EBA was voted down the first time.
"It is not true that either Eastern or Qantas have in any way suggested that Career Progression will be withdrawn. However, Management has advised that the new Agreement providing extra Career Progression positions, will not be signed until an EBA has been satisfactorily resolved".
Therefore I see NO reason why we as crew and the FAAA cannot make the first move on this issue this time round. What I and a lot of crew would like to see is Eastern flight attendants will not resolve our upcoming EBA until the issue of career progression has been satisfactorily resolved now that Qantas only ever employ casual crew and that external permanent employment only ever occurs every couple of years.
I would very much like to hear though how you expect us to achieve a better outcome.
lfdlfp
True the 1st year salary is crap and to add insult to injury we work harder in terms of hours than any other flight attendant division within the group but during the last EBA the first year salary requirements were changed so 1st year crew have previous crew to thank for the fact their salary could have be a whole lot worse.
Are you saying we should replace our meal allowance system with DTA? If so you should do the figures and with the type of flying we do we are worse off. Sure if we did trips like Sunstate, short haul etc DTA would be option but right now its not. I would love to get paid more than my base hourly rate for working weekends and public holidays but are you willing to give up our 7 hour after an overnight rule to achieve such an outcome? Because if you get it in one hand the company will take away in the other. I for 1 would want to see a HUGE increase in my pay packet to give up that EBA clause.
Like most eastern flight attendants I go through days where I have just had enough which can be evidenced from my last post. However after some sleep im now back in a fighting mood towards the company, but I am yet to see from any posts on here any real ideas where our pay packets and lifestyles can be improved apart from fighting for progression. Remember it was the company not crew that balckmailed us last time round so I see no reason why this issue cannot be renegotiated considering the changes in the way Qantas employ crew into short haul and the effect this has on us.