before accepting any job offers, my first question to MAM would be what contract would you be working under, and ask for a copy. this was a problem for some people when we started approx 16 months ago, we were told one thing at interviews, but then the contract we were given to sign on our last day of training stated different things.
it seems as though new casuals are going to be put on Contract C -although a Syd casual told me just today that he was told in the EBA meeting yesterday (by the union) that new people wont 'have' to go on it, that it'll be a choice for them- just like the rest of us.......but i dont really know whether i believe that though.
it was also said that we (the current casuals) wont be forced onto Contract C - but again, most of the casuals on contract A were kinda forced onto our contract B- so who knows whether to believe that either.
FYI the new Contract C states that every month you will be pre-allocated 20 days duties, which depending on your life/family/commitments may or may not appeal. so the company will pick what days you do and dont work. It doesnt appeal to me at all, mostly because it'll mean i have absolutely no control over my life from one month to the next. basically no choice of days off (except for 3 consecutives days per mth that can be 'requested'), more than likely rostered to work every weekend and all public holidays with no penalties (same flat rate 365 days per year), and possibly only ever getting Syd returns every day for 20 days.
i like the flexibility i have now, i can work 12 days or more (totally up to me) i can choose my days off, so if i have a special occasion i want to go to then i can.
Sebby, although i can agree that there were a few 'dodgy' casuals that may have made it though the MAM recruitment process, its somewhat defamatory to make statements like
"Qantas will have more to do with this next recruitment drive and less MAM as they havent had great feedback from the Crew that were last picked by the MAM recruiters"
personally i find comments like that insulting to both myself & the many, many other casuals i work with who do just as good a job as the full time F/A's. overall the majority of casuals who are online, and still employed are no different to full timers when it comes to getting the work done. please dont tar everyone with the same brush- thats like making a generalised statement that 'Qantas will never make a mistake, & will never employ anyone who doesnt do a great job' ........and of course that would be rubbish, bcos ive worked with the odd full timer who has been atrocious to work with too. most days, people dont even know if you are a casual until it comes up in conversation.
someone also asked about staff travel benefits- nope, there are no benefits at all.
holidays -you can theoretically take whenever you want- within reason i guess. i havent had any probs at all getting time off, i havent ever actually had to ask- i just work the first 12 days in one month, then the last 12 days in the following month- so essentially i have a whole month off, but havent had to ask/have it approved. if you wanted to work less than 12 days in a calendar month you would need to speak to MAM. Someone on here did say that they had trouble getting time off, but personally no-one that i know has had any real trouble.
AV days can be changed to non AV days as long as you do it more than 7 days in advance- we get our work allocated 7 days in advance so as long as you cant physically 'see' the duty on your line, then you can call crewing and ask to be made non AV. i do this all the time.
but again- i dont know how much of this info is of use to prospective casuals, bcos if you have to go onto Contract C most of this this wont really apply.