i havent posted for quite some time as i have been content to watch the goings on in here with some amusement and interest.
Its dissappoiting that the LH/SH FAAA debate rages on while rome burns. The real issue here is that while we squabble the company drives a wedge between the workers in Qantas.
Its easy to point the bone and try to see where "original sin" started but that is not going to solve the problems.
As h/campa or DM from the FAAA domestic division says.. The company hate the LOng Haul FAAA. The reality is..they hate all unions. They probably just hate the Long HAul FAAA more than most.
I guess its a bit like being a KAPO in a concentration camp being an FAAA official that constantly agrees with anything to keep the peace with Qantas or to be Liked.
The reality is that the current FAAA LH officials were elected on a platfrom of reversing the failures of the previous EBA and that is what they have done.
Whether there is deception or duplicity of the part of SH official is moot, the reality is NOW and we they must do jointly to protect the working conditions of ALL Qantas group flight attendants.
As someone who has been around a while i have heard the internal bickering from ALL unions for years. Its not just common to the FAAA all unions have internal flights over direction and policies. Some are more pragmatic than others.
At the moment the SH crew have the advantage of being cheaper and more productive that LH crew as the LH FAAA have pointed out. The only way that LH could effectively fight back would be to undercut SH as they did to LH.
I recall being at a meeting last year where MM said that was not a sensible strategy for any union as it would just end up in a spiral to the bottom.
For LH crew its about making ourselves more effecient and trying to hang on to core conditions without resorting to screwing over other flight attendants in the Qantas group.
Thats the essence of the dilemna for LH crew. So when i see the LH FAAA make media comment about the outrage of what qantas is doing i dont criticize them. I understand their frustration.
I dont critisize Doug Cameron, Or Greg Combet or even Kevin Rudd either for critisizing Qantas. But clearly the FAAA domestic division believe thats just grandstanding and achieves nothing.
Just like those that didnt speak up in NAZI germany when they came for their neighbours , when the NAZI's came for them there was no one to speak up.
If the FAAA SH strategy is just to be the last standing when they come for them then at least i understand that strategy. I dont agree with it but i understand.
For my part as a crew member with 15 years service who would like to get to 20, i would like to think that we could stand together.
Thats why despite the obvious differences between the FAAA SH and LH i dont care who heads a united union. I only care that we are united because devided we will fail.
Dont let the rhetoric about who is leaking what to the media distract you. The SMH does its own investigations i would imagine. I would suggest that if there is nothing to hide then the FAAA domestic will come out of it as clean as a whistle.
For what its worth Maurice Alexander was an outstanding union official and many of the conditions that SH and LH crew enjoy were as a result of the work he did for years working with former unions officials. John Playford and other LH and SH officials and employess have workder tirelessly for the collective good of all crew.
Their involvment in business either conected with the SH FAAA or not will not make a bit of difference to me to be quite honest. What the Media prints makes entertaining and thought provoking reading but at the end of the day i am only interested in the working conditions and job security of myself and other Qantas Cabin Crew.
a word of advice to FAAA officials of both divisions. Get of the cross we need the wood!!!!!!
get on with the job of protecting ALL flight attendants job security. YOUR loyalties should be with the members not the current employess or officials. You are all replaceable and no one is indespensible.
Get your acts together fast OUR livelihoods depend on it. We will not be patient forever