Seniority and Bidding
QCCA crew rosters are built after long haul crew. That would happen even if QCCA crew were included in the seniority system. as they would be allocated a seniority number like all current crew and would be able to bid for work. That work would still be allocated exactly the same as it is currently ie from the most senior to the most junior.
The only difference is that the company would not agree to the new crew getting any sort of seniority or crew who go to the A380 including the current Qantas Airlines Crew.
The company is totally opposed to seniority but the thousands of current crew have built their lives around it. The seniority system was imposed on Cabin Crew by the company in 1988 and the majority of crew were against it. But they have now built lives around that system including their families.
If it were suddenly removed by the company in EBA 8 it would have been almost constructive dismissal to many crew as they would not have been able to continue working with no control over their lives at all.
This EBA has protected the current crew for sure. It has also created 2000 new jobs many with CSM and CSS positions for crew in Australia. The conditions are better than Jetstar and the money and promtional opportunities are better too.
I would suggest that when the next EBA is to be voted on that the Union will be seeking a recognition of seniority for QCCA crew and improvments in conditions and pay. None of that would have been possible at all if the jobs were not created in australia in the first place.
Long Haul crew have given up a slipping formula on regional flights and a range of other things to create flexibility themselves. They have also agreed to go the creation of the A380 division with the same work rules as QCCA should they wish to fly the A380.
QCCA crew have good job security and their conditions are competitive and make for job security and remove the desire of the company to massively expand overseas bases and create australian jobs. It hard to work with crew on different conditions but without the arrangements agreed to in EBA8 the jobs would not be there.
Over 1500 crew have been made redundant in the last few years. As current LH crew retire, convert to part time, resign and take packages their conditions will dissappear with them.
The challenge for those of us remaining is to work with the QCCA crew to improve their conditions whilst trying to remain competitive. Australian Airlines was shut down because it was uncompetitve, and the cabin crew worked more hours for less money that the LH crew.
QCCA is the future Qantas airlines is the past, the challenge is to continue to create Australian jobs with a future