Jake
I'm afraid you have missed the point.
As you know, quite a few of your colleagues have been advocating that everyone else in the world should accept their lowly position and refuse to work for lesser salaries in Australia, for the greater good, so that in the long run everyone would benefit.
The counter argument has been, why should the rest of us fall on our swords in order to protect your world, when you do nothing to help youselves.
Unfortunately for the good guys in Qantas, this latest capitulation has gone along way to substantiate the point that QF drivers are a bunch of prima donnas who expect others to do their dirty work for them.
Given the imminent arrival of J* international, I would guess this was your last chance to shore up your position. But as your post clearly proves, all you guys care about is your own salary and conditions, not anyone elses.