HyperMerged: Q Engineering LAME EBA VIII/Industrial Strategies

[Big M]

M FIDDLES WHILST ACS BURNS.

For those who don’t know, today and tomorrow, all members of the ACS supervisory structure have downed tools(pens) to attend M’s latest Leadership Forum, or “Love in” as they’ve become known. I’m sure everyone’s having a great time hunkered down in The Airport Hilton, surrounded by “Intelligent Space” and “ACS core values”, with every word, speech and group hugging exercise being carried out/performed with “Strategy Map II principles” as a guide. A laugh a minute I’m sure! Oh and before we get going don’t forget the safety brief on how to exit the room if anything untoward should happen. I hope a risk assessment or at a minimum, a safety observation was carried out before hand.

All the DE’s and foreman have dutifully succumbed to M’s fear campaign of “there will be ‘consequences’ for non attendance” Ha ha ha, what did you all think would happen if you pulled a sickie and didn’t front? I wonder if everyone completed the required homework before attendance at kindergarten this morning? Yep, that’s right…. homework – every student must complete their own personal “Leadership plan” and bring it along for marking. I’m sure M is under the false assumption that people who fix aircraft for a living actually like being a part of this crap. Good thing though is that once a LAME, always a LAME and the built in scepticism and distrust of anything sprouted by M will be in plentiful supply. Sure there are the “Yes” men who will outwardly go along with whatever the latest agenda/stuff up is but I think the silent majority will all be bored to tears and count the seconds until it’s all over.

The word on the street is the real agenda is an attempt to get the supervisor’s “on board” in support of the company’s paltry EBA offer. Try and get the DE’s and foreman to sing the praises of the EBA to the ‘troops’. How do you do this? Well, what was in the offer? – basically not much for the troops but a nice sweetener of an increase for all the supervisor/higher duty allowances and some movement of quota positions that only affect or are of benefit to those at the ‘top end of the tree’
At the same time keep the engine of the fear campaign running at full rev’s. i.e “consequences” for non attendance, we can’t compete with other MRO’s, our wages are “unsustainable”, more than a 3% increase would cause the sky to fall in, John Holland is on the horizon, etc,etc,etc. All the same old crappy propaganda cranked out again at EBA time.

The 3rd floor probably know the LAME’s have had enough over the years and now want some real recognition in the form of a “fair and decent” pay rise from the current EBA. They know the past methods and pathetic powerpoint sales jobs from the likes of the Fat Controller will no longer ‘cut it’. They even reached for the cupboard straight away to bring out that old faithful “If this isn’t voted in you risk having the back pay taken away”. Not even a little to and fro – BORING. They know it’s an impossible job to sell us this turd so therefore the latest efforts to get the supervisor’s “on board” in an attempt to sell it from within and avoid the upcoming industrial action –can’t wait till January! After all, as part of the ‘ACS Leadership Team’ one of your tasks is to lead the boys in a way which is in keeping with the ‘corporate’ line. One of the DE’s in syd has already been down ‘on the floor’ warning the boys about the consequences of their vote and playing up the fear campaign No doubt all those in attendance will be threatened with all manner of consequences if they don’t carry out higher duties or do overtime when the action starts. Good old divisive tactics – I for one have faith that the majority currently soaking up M’s crap will not take the bait or the fear from above and wholeheartedly be a part of any action should it become necessary/imperative. Remember guys, if it comes down to it, you will be involved in legally sanctioned action, approved by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in an effort to improve your working conditions – no more, no less.

Of course, the membership of the Association may decide not to begin action, 50% of the membership must vote, and 50% of the return must be in favour of action for it to be lawful. To my mind there is ‘that feeling’ in the air at the moment that the vote will be for action. A bit like that feeling in the air before the recent federal election, however substitute M for Little Johnny. There are so many people disengaged from any form of management at the moment it’s laughable, and those LAME badges now have a bigger and bigger following – I’m seeing them on more and more vests. Ha ha ha.

Once all the supervisors are back, let's see which ones will be having 'informal' meetings, walk arounds and "chat's with the boys" while singing from M's songsheet. It will be interesting - a word of warning to those who try it on, the boys won't be listening and they'll see straight through you. After all, where are all the great improvements that were supposed to come from the last round of love-in's, which took the form of a 'Deliverance' style river trip?

I’m strapped in and ready to go…….. waiting by the letterbox for my ballot paper and looking forward to it. Bring it on.


P.S. For those at the “Love In” be warned about being tempted to slip down the road to the Rowers for a few cold ones. One of M’s first tasks after moving into the 3rd floor was to sack four of your co-workers for this very offence. He’s not a ‘fan’ of drinking and you may still be classed as being ‘at work’ in a legal sense. If you can’t resist the temptation , keep your eye out for Managers son’s who may just be lurking in licenced premises with a camera phone. Hey, there might even be random testing in the morning in accordance with policy. Stay under 0.02% fella’s !!