Just so that there is no doubt as to AIPA’s history here, these are some extracts from transcripts during the AIRC hearings in 2007.
“.. The transfer of flying to Jetstar required a protection of the flying for mainline pilots.”
“147. Despite this, and the best efforts of Captain Woods in oral evidence to paint himself as more pragmatic than his predecessor, AIPA's actions have shown more hostility towards Jetstar under his stewardship. This is especially so in the context of Jetstar's emergence into international services. The following actions of AIPA under Captain Woods' leadership speak volumes for AIPA's hostility against Jetstar and its emergence into international RPTAS:
3 March 2006 – AIPA wrote a letter of demand requiring undertakings that would prevent anyone apart from Qantas Mainline pilots doing the flying on EBA7 rates, Q24. Note that at [51] of Captain Wheeler's statement he gave evidence that Jetstar cannot afford to pay its pilots the same salaries and conditions as Qantas mainline pilots. Captain Woods agreed with this (6273);
8 March 2006 – AIPA instituted Federal Court litigation (VI 251 of 2006), seeking various orders, including a permanent injunction to stop Jetstar having the use of the A330's (AFAP 51). The clear effect of that would be to prevent or seriously disrupt Jetstar's international services, as the A330's are an interim fleet pending future arrival of B787's (Qantas 3 para 32). Jetstar would have to try to find alternative aircraft from somewhere else in the meantime.
8 March 2006 – AIPA attempted to intervene in Commission proceedings before Raffaelli C to oppose Jetstar's application to vary the 2005 EBA (the 'wide bodied amendment') (Qantas 25). AIPA made serious allegations against Jetstar of coercing pilots into voting in favour of the amendments. (Qantas 25 PN9). AIPA has produced no evidence of this. The amendment had 73.1% support of Jetstar pilots (Qantas 3 para 110). Captain Woods acknowledged that this variation was 'an essential precondition' to Jetstar being able to engage in international RPTS (6177). Yet AIPA tried to stop it in its tracks!
27 April 2006 – Captain Woods sent an email to the Jetstar Pilots Council that AIPA had just been made aware of Jetstar being able to directly recruit captains to command the A330 International aircraft. He said that since he was at the IFALPA Conference in Istanbul, 'AIPA will do what it can to try and persuade IFALPA to support, if necessary, an international recruiting ban on Jetstar' (Qantas 26). Captain Woods sought to justify this ban by reference to AIPA 'upholding the legislation of this nation' (6024). When asked to elaborate he stated: 'I believe there is some legislative basis for that which would arguably – it's not clear, but as I understand it, an employer may seek government approval to hire, lets say pilots from – who are non Australian. For whatever reason, the government may choose to accept or reject that application, what AIPA was seeking to do was encourage the government to reject any such application' (6210).
In 2006, AIPA wrote to CASA with a view to slowing down any assessment process for Jetstar ETOP's permit application. Again, this permit was essential for it to be able to operate the Honolulu service in an efficient way. The permit was granted after two months. AIPA's position was that it should have been 12 months (PN6253 to 6264).”
And on the Group Opportunity List......
PN816
The so-called group opportunity list is a proposal that freezes the seniority of existing QAL pilots. This means that for many years no one from regional airlines has any realistic chance of successfully bidding for a vacancy within QAL. Today the Dash 8 captain who has 15 years of seniority at Eastern and wants to take up a first officer position with QAL in a B737, he has no chance. A second officer at QAL with two years' seniority there has bidding rights ahead of the Eastern captain. On the other hand QAL pilots would be able to access opportunity within the regional airlines, such as Jetstar, which are growing fast and therefore creating lots of new jobs.
Transcripts don't lie - It should be very clear to Jetstar pilots from the above history what the intentions of AIPA are, ie, to protect mainline flying at ANY cost.
We need to steer clear of this group and the demonstrated agenda it's following.
Voting YES for this EBA will send a message that we will manage our own future.
