Relax fellas. The intent of the PIA was to bring Management to the negotiating table. If this happens on day 1, so much the better. SP knows the target value of the deal. Dixon has made some very inflamatory remarks in the press over the last week. Lets see what he has to say now that the union has stepped up to the line and the ACTU is facilitating an outcome. Sharon Burrows is doing her job, only those present at the meeting will know what she has to say. SP has links to the ACTU and this is in some way why we should embrace those links in the future. Perhaps the Government is using Sharon as a conduit to get a deal done without stepping into the fray itself. Who knows and who cares as long as we get an acceptable deal. Lockouts would been a threat. There are not enough "alternative workers" be they management with licences or "privateers" to cover a national lockout. Perhaps a local one but that would have brought on the perception of the MWA dispute. Given that Howard left his mark on that IR debacle, Rudd would want to stay away from that as much as possible. Word is that QF are very close to parkng domestic aircraft against the fence due to Maintenance checks running out of time. Our overtime bans alone would hurt the company significantly. Life style changes are a personal issue for many. Lets do our job to the best of our ability and act in a professional manner at all times. Let SP and Sharon do theirs and let our professionalism support their efforts. Until an agreement in principle is signed, our PIA will remain in force and the sole purpose of the PIA is to achieve a reasonable deal, not to bloody noses or to remove management.
Stay cool. Stay calm. Support your executive and your peers desires for a better deal.