Merged: Qantas:The Trashing Of A Brand
The recent near riots in the Sydney Qantas Club were the first on the East Coast.
On Christmas Night 2007 in Perth the same situation occurred.Federal police were called to the domestic terminal as several delays and near 40 degree temeperatures (in the terminal)brought passenger anger to flashpoint.
In Perth this was not the first time.
The emotional attachment Australians once had for Qantas has been severed.
Years of clever emotive marketing and brand building have been destoyed.
The CEO Geoff Dixon is responsible.
He has deliberately neglected his customers and his staff.His focus has been the shareholders.It is instructive to note that Dixon and his senior executives are substantial shareholders.
The creation of executive wealth has been the sole intention of Dixon and his cronies for the last seven years.The sense of entitlement displayed by these corporate deceivers is breathtaking.Dixon rubbed his hands with glee at the prospect of $60million coming his way from the sale of Qantas to private equity.
An obscenity of the greatest magnitude.
Qantas Aviation Fuel is hedged at $US72 for the remainder of this year and favourable hedging is in place for most of next year.
The strong $A is also Dixons ally.
Yet he uses rising fuel costs to deny Maintenance Staff a 5% pay increase.
Dixon will not deny himself or his executives an enormous bonus this year.
Customers have been over serviced for years and staff should be grateful to have a job...so says Dixon.
The Qantas Corporate culture is toxic.No one will make a decision for fear of reprisals.Those that do make decisions see as far ahead as the next bonus.
Why should anyone be paid a bonus to do a job that they are already being generously remunerated for?
Are pilots paid a bonus to fly the aircraft?
Are Ground Engineers paid a bonus to maintain the aircraft?
In an egalitarian democracy like Australian how does this continue unchecked ?
There is something seriously wrong when a corporate vandal in a Gucci tie is allowed to continue larceny on a such an enormous scale.
When Dixon leaves will there be anything left to salvage?
So many questions and no bloody answers.