Unity
Good folks, I sit on the sideline as a soon to be retired veteran of a few campaigns.
I am dismayed at the apparent lack of learning achieved over the past 20 odd years.
Throughout this thread there are calls for unity. They come from all sides of the argument. All either espouse its virtue or at least acknowledge its value. I cannot recall any post advocating dislocation of the pilot group.
Frankly I think unity is a utopian dream. The aims and interests of the various protagonists are too diverse, and in some cases mutually exclusive, for a pure unity to exist. The only common ground in this argument is that individual deals and action are detrimental to the system. It has always been thus. Strangely, although management don’t seem to recognise or acknowledge it, in the long term a rational, cohesive, unified, employee group is a far easier beast to deal with than a band of individual mavericks.
So if we can all agree that unity should be a goal, and that the concept of pure unity is not a realistic possibility, lets look at the objectives and history of unity within our industry.
In the blue corner we have AIPA.
Operating under a mandate from the QF mainline pilots to look after their interests
Rejected unity with the Australian industry when (soon to be management) Westwood and Cant spat the dummy and walked out on AFAP circa 1982 (or thereabouts)
Rejected unity with, and effectively limited the career opportunities of, the Eastern, Sunstate pilot group
Rejected unity with Impulse (J*) pilot group, in an unsuccessful attempt to limit that group’s career opportunities
Under threat of restriction of their opportunities has seen the light and wishes to unify all Q group pilots under the one umbrella to the benefit of all ??
In the red corner we have AFAP
Operating under a mandate from an amalgamation of diverse pilot groups from the entire industry
Was a unified umbrella over the whole industry, until busted open by a single interest group (AIPA) circa 1982
Has a history of trying to keep the industry under one cohesive umbrella
Has no vested interest in the promotion of one group of members over any other group of members
Having suffered from the most vicious government/company industrial assault ever perpetrated in Australia, has survived to fight another day (in contrast to their protagonists none of whom exist any longer)
In the green corner we have the JPC
A single interest group operating under a mandate from the J* pilot body
Sought unity with the Q mainline group but was abandoned at the altar
A relatively under funded and inexperienced organisation that has had difficulty reining in the aspirations of individuals whom it should rightly represent.
And in the yellow corner we have the free marketeers.
A diverse minority who will pretend to offer allegiance to whomever appears to offer the best deal, only to turn their back at the slightest hint of a better deal by going it alone or changing allegiance
Gentle folks , if you look at history, and the objectives of each of the groups, the best long term option is to have a specific council under the umbrella of an organisation that has no vested interest in a preferential outcome.
Too often this industry has seen the results of short term gain and longterm pain.
Vote wisely
Maui