the working contract has been changed by the FAAA for all future Team Jetstar employees - all current Jetstar Staff were sent an email by the FAAA stating this and you will be able to view it on the FAAA domestic website i am sure.
Having said that.. it is still quite third world... and comparing the differences between our current conditions and those of Team Jetstar - there are vast differences. Our conditions at Jetstar havent changed dramatically in the three or so years since Jetstar Started - our pay has increased from that of when we were Qantaslink and the only noticeable day to day change has been the increase in duty hours on a day to day basis.
Overall - our conditions are not bad and i am happy working here and will be here hopefully for many more years to come. The only major noticeable difference that has been happening has been the influx of 'young' crew who have been recruited straight from highschool - minimal customer service experience in difficult situations (if any at all) and a desire to want a life (nothing that you wouldnt expect any normal 18 year old to want to do either)
With experience and age comes a situational awareness and ability to think on your feet... not have to constantly ask or check if what your doing is okay.. confidence to stand up to passengers and assert yourself.. maturity to realise that you have chosen a job that requires you to work at 5am on a saturday morning so dont go out friday night and call in sick saturday or show up hungover. And previous work experience to realise that sitting down reading magazines in the back galley for most of the flight - just because you have the available time - dosent mean its acceptable.
Sadly - many of the newer crew coming through dont understand this because they are either too young and have no idea, or are not suited for it.
I would be interested to know what 'type' of people they are looking for in Team Jetstar recruits... i would think that they have surely learnt their lesson from hiring lots of 18 year olds and would go for more mature types - but would the mature types accept the conditions and workload?