Originally Posted by
contrails03
It's not the group it's the nature of the industry... supply and demand.. when supply is excess and demand is low, conditions suffer. When an airline starts up, like
VB or JQ, of course it's going to take advantage of excess supply.
Now that the supply is drying up and the airlines have established, the tide is turning. We are winning back power and conditions will get better. It is cyclic. Look back over the conditions 50 years ago till now. It hasn't always been good.
Supply and demand curves are only part of the story. Important, but just the starting point.
Example: House prices are going berserk in Perth. Yet there are still some bargains to be had - some homeowners aren't hanging on for the best price. Had a mate nearly pick up a house in Freo for $300k until someone offered the old digger $550k. The old digger would have been happy with $300k, ten times what he paid for it way back when. And he hadn't done any research, he backed out after he went and told a neighbour what a great price he was going to get for his house!
Supply and demand will assist pilot wages go up, but only if pilots sell for what they are worth, not what the employer would like to offer.
Supply and demand was part of the mix when airline pilot wages started going up in the late '50s to '70s. But it wasnt just plain 'market forces' at work. It took determined, disciplined and protracted industrial action and lobbying.
Employers resisted paying higher wages then, and they will resist paying higher now. No point sitting back and hoping 'the market' will do the work for you.
VB boys and girls - well done in Round 1 of the big match. Watch out for Round 2, management will come out swinging with their Plan B.