Mr. Cox is engaging in the well known tactic of setting people's expectations, otherwise not even a person as stupid as him would deliberately destabilise his own workforce.
The idea is that numerous rumors will fly about regarding the "future" or lack of it, for the Tullamarine site. Some will be planted, possibly even on Pprune. This will increase the anxiety level of the workers involved as they fear the worst....
Finally, and with great fanfare, changes will be announced. Something like, "You will be offered a chance to work for Forstaff, who will take over the site. You will receive half your pay and cease to be employed by Qantas."
The idea is then that all of you aided and abetted by a complaisant ALAEA executive, will all go "Phew! We still have jobs! I thought it was going to be much worse!".