I think it was summed up nicely on the 12 November 1989 by the then President of the AFAP:
What of wage determination? There never was one. After all the righteous outbursts from the Airlines, Governments and its Ministers, the ACTU and the AIRC, the Americans and those others who joined them received salary rises of between 40 and 100%. Salaries for Airline pilots who now work in the Industry have been increased beyond their wildest dreams. The problem for management, the Government and the ACTU is that 1,300 pilots of the Federation and their families were not prepared to pay their price.
What of the union extermination ? A combination of the most abhorrent and anti-labour practices ever employed in the free world could not break the spirit, principle and integrity of over 80% of Australia’s domestic airline pilots and their families. In a country where mateship, and sticking by your mates is the quality most admired and respected, these are the people who have been put to the that test, and passed.
Amen.