Re: ALAEA impotence
I'm not sure what's stirred up this hornets nest, we're still 1 yr out from an EBA. However here's my two bobs worth.
I agree with sunfish and believe we need to call Qantas's bluff. We will always have to keep an eye on costs but I'm sick of being threatened with redundancy if I don't accept my modest 3% with huge productivity gains and management get double digit pay increases whilst QF post record profits.
However the people who ultimately accept or reject any agreement are the members of the union. While I may be disappointed at times with my union leadership I am more dissapointed with my fellow colleagues who consistantly vote to accept to erode our pay and conditions. The most agressive union leadership will make no difference if the member choose to accept the first qf offer.
I can understand peoples reluctance to enter an industrial dispute with QF because they will play hard (and the law is most definetely on their side), but if you don't know your own self worth then you will have to accept whatever Qantas thinks your worth (what's the average pay for an engineer in China?).
At some point we are going to have to stand up and be counted!!!!!!!!!!!
I know some people "get revenge" by accepting a meagre 3% increase and then produce 50% less. This is just a self defeating, soul sapping descent into mediocrity which will ensure our demise.
Whilst I am in the minority I'll just have to accept the decision of the majority until we collectively grow some balls or I'm in the position to tell QF to GO AND GET STUFFED!!!!!!!