It's no longer proposed B A Lert it's happening.
http://www.news.com.au/business/stor...58-462,00.html
Qantas pilots in bid to restrict takeover
By Steve Creedy
February 26, 2007 01:00am
Article from: The Australian
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QANTAS pilots will today attempt to impose significant restrictions on the $11 billion takeover of the airline by asking the Federal Court to rule the carrier's Jetstar International subsidiary is operating unlawfully.
The Australian and International Pilots Association will argue that Jetstar's international services breach a section of the Qantas Sale Act preventing the national carrier from operating international passenger services under another name.
The union argues the Act requires Qantas to conduct scheduled international passenger services under the Qantas name or a name that contains the word Qantas.
It is taking the action after the Government revealed advice that the Sale Act, enacted in 1992 to ensure Qantas remained Australian, would not prevent the flying kangaroo spinning off Jetstar and selling it as a separate entity.
The Government subsequently argued that legislation covering international aviation agreements required an airline to keep its "principal place of business" in Australia and that this would prevent the low-cost carrier being sold overseas.
But some aviation experts and AIPA disagree, saying significant chunks of Jetstar could still be transferred offshore.
The union is also worried the Qantas Sale Act could be rendered meaningless by a simple transfer of Qantas business to its low-cost offshoot. And it remains unimpressed by repeated assurances from Airline Partners Australia – the private equity consortium behind the takeover – that it has no intention of breaking up the airline.
"We contend there is an exit strategy to spin Jetstar off," AIPA president Ian Woods said yesterday.
"Clearly, that was never intended by the Sale Act and it's not something that's in the interest of Qantas pilots."
APA has identified Jetstar International's growth as central to its plans to make money from its $5.60 a share bid.
Qantas pilots worry they are being excluded from the expansionary thrust. The union is hoping its action will force the Government to intervene and place restrictions on the deal.
"If our case succeeds the entire Jetstar International strategy – where a separate entity is created to hollow out Qantas – would breach the Qantas Sale Act and the Minister for Transport would be obliged to intervene," Mr Woods said.
There is no hypocrisy about this, this is what we pay AIPA for, defending it's members jobs.
When AO was started AIPA proved how flexible it could be and yet still the company wanted more and more, effectivly trying to implement AO conditions on mailine pilot by the improper use of a wet lease. This was never the accepted intent of having lower pay and conditions. Conditions which only stack up to those concerned by living in a place like Cairns where the lower cost of housing etc offsets the lower remuneration offered.
You are also implying AIPA knew of this possible breach of the Qantas Sale Act when AO was being set up, do you know this is the case as that would be central to your claim? Perhaps is only been under the new direction which GD and APA has forced AIPA that has lead to this discovery.
There are over 1000 First and Second Officers who have seen their carreers decimated by the advent of JetStar, how do you explain to them that it's just bad luck their next promotion has been put back 10 years so GD/APA etc can grab another few buckets of gold before sinking Qantas.
Best of luck IAN WOODS & Co, thank you AIPA for championing Qantas pilots.