Please do not take my silence as accepting some of the rubbish posted here. I have said on many occassions i attempt to give facts rather than get into a 'slagging match'.
A note to the Mods remmber the commitment to respond to the issues not demean or slander?
Obie
Having read it again you could not be further from the truth but I suspect I am wasting my breath. I would watch out come September when Drug testing starts because you are to close to the poppie farm in Northern Tas.
Dirty Deeds
Yet again attack the union as cox or other staff/ You forget the leadership are operating pilots and they determine the direction. My conditions of employemnt are dealt with by elected pilots and yes my hours regularly exceed CAO 48 protections that you have. Do I say no to a member in trouble over the weekend or at midnight or early on Sunday morning when a Company has directed something, Short answer is no.
It is amazing even the most vocal of critics seem to find our number when they are in trouble.
The one thing I will agree is that we are wasting money and resources fighting each other but that as you would know is ego driven by those who want to control pilot bodies rather than sitting down and working out a plan for a united body. As i understand VIPA it is yet another ego driven body of pilots who want to be spokesman or employed as industrial officers rather than fly aircraft but does it really help pilots again the short answer is no.
Just remember whilst we fight each other we leave the companies alone. Which is what most want.
I hope you dont mind me saying that i do have other things to do than sit down at computer and respond postings of non members on a regular basis but occassionally it is a good distraction. Perhaps a few more of you should spend time on development of policy in a union or working on a technical committee or acting as a pilot friend in an accident/incident and find out what its is really all about being a member of a pilot union.
Lawrie Cox
Manager - Industrial Relations
Australian Federation of Air Pilots