At the risk of alienating the lower more general sections of our industry, then so be it.
The bottom line is that the main players that drive the Industry [Jayrow, CHC and BH] are disjointed, Wow is that a Revelation!
You can piss in each others pockets over a few dollars here and there and generally reduce the overall increase to a pissant value.
Or you can get that useless AFAP [remember the same crowd that screwed QANTAS/ TAA and Ansett back in the 80’s, until they saw the light and screwed the AFAP] and push them into the real world, or get rid of them.
I can’t see any difference between driving a 92 out of Darwin, a 332 out of Broome or a 76 out of Tooradin than pushing a 747 to Singapore with all the worldly assistance and ATC guidance expected and given, particularly with triple Flight Directors and above the crappy weather that we sit in all day long.
And you know what?, the Oil Companies make more profit than does QANTAS and Virgin added together. Together with a barrel or Oil at near US$90 / barrel guess what?
We are being screwed. But not by our Management, but by the Oil Companies.
Why don’t you guys get together [want each others phone numbers? Give me a PM], and make some real difference.
Don’t expect your Management to buckle under the pressure of the EBA’s or other arrangements, as they have contracted at a rate they thought was OK at contract time, they have only a few $$ here or there to line their and your pockets with.
Get together and aim your focus where the money is, the Multi National Oil Company’s.
Let me do a quick calculation for you:
Between the big three, there are about 200 guys earning about A$130K each, now double that salary to equal that of a wide body pilot, you have an increase of around $26 million.
Think that will kill the Oil Companies?....hell no, a fully laden Ore Carrier is worth around $5M, [and they move over 40 / day] a LNG carrier around $18M [and they move three/day] or Oil Carriers at $11M, [and they move 12+/day], plus Gas, Salt and Condensate, so get real guys and get organised.
The only guys that can lead the rest are the top end folk., and if you aren’t aiming at the same as a 747 guy for doing the same task with less sophistication, then your all deserve each other.
Get Organised, Get rid of the AFAP [or control them], Aim at the Oil Companies, and your financial security will follow.
Continue to be divided, and I will repeat this message in 2010, just like many have said before.
Now what is your excuse?