Captain Cloudbuster
Here's my best guess Chimbu
There is a shortage of qualified FO's available for immediate upgrade within J*'s own ranks to fill the planned expansion.
True, hence the DEC campaign in South Africa (15 currently employed and undergoing various short courses prior to line training --CRM, Security, EP’s)
The current terms and conditions of employment are substandard.
True, and the proposed conditions under EBA 4 are also substandard.
These facts combined ensure -
J* management need this EBA to get up yesterday to attract direct entry captains
This is where you are wrong, J* management do not need this EBA to succeed to continue to attract DEC’s. Management will continue to attract all the DEC’s they require through AWA’s on BETTER conditions than the current EBA. Remember, he changes to the workchoices legislation will still allow AWA’s for high income earners (>$100,000)
Julia Gillard will be unlikely to approve the use of 457 visas.
If we act together
I am still of the opinion that the proposed EBA is crap. We should have been able to achieve so much more, with the proviso that the pilot group remained united. I voted NO, and believed that the will of the majority of the pilots would have been respected, I thought that I knew the consequences of a no vote. However, in light of recent events stemming from about 4 hours after the close of the vote I fail to see how a fractured pilot group can achieve any better. As one of the NO voters, I will change my vote if it means new pilots will be on EBA 4 with the majority of current pilots (I believe current AWA pilots will still be excluded). The events following the vote are farcical and tragic, a sad inditement of the divisions evident within the pilot body. The ONLY way forward is united, and if this is voted down again we know what will happen. This is not a threat from management, ironically it is our own brethren that has precipitated the split.