It was clear years ago that AIPA is irrelevant in QF's agenda but the sleeping majority are starting to wake up now its getting serious.
To announce such a contentious issue before the EBA is voted on indicates QF don't care which way it goes. The company wins either way.
EBA in = Mainline cheap enough to continue in the game for whatever flying the company decides to give them. (maybe).
Company works on putting the screws in even more for EBA 8.
Why not, the pilots are pussies if they accept this crap.
EBA out= Further marginalise Mainline by farming out more flying to our good cheap buddies in Jetstar. Get Oldmeadow to concentrate on a strategy to nuke the recalcitrant drivers (everyone) who had the temerity not to accept what was on offer. Make new recruits pay for endorsement, accept Z scale, cheap foreign basings, etc and etc and eat em up from below.
If you are in mainline it would pay to be a senior 400 skipper with a few years to go. Everyone else looks like having a turn in the barrel.
And don't blame the Jetstar blokes for any of this. AIPA told them to take a hike when it counted and this is the result.