Maybe I am stupid. However a few things strike me about reading through this thread about the tension caused by the issue of seniority list just has me in disbelief.
Whilst i have nothing to do with qantas their cadetship issue/mainline direct entry pilots.
As an outsider who is just observing and have an independent view due not to having a vested interest in either way of determining seniority. It seems that the issue of seniority is about rewarding a sense of loyalty to the company. With loyalty comes with the added benefits. Everybody likes the added benefits. Is this the idea of seniority?
So to me the argument is about does a direct entry pilot exhibit greater, lessor or the same loyalty to the company than a cadet?
Scenario 1. Cadet into the trainee ship and De pilot employed to mainline at the same time. Cadet doesn't get any of the benefits until secures a job into mainline if i can understand the process correctly. De pilot has a job is being employed recieves benefits over the cadet. Rightly so as the de pilot is producing some form of productivity. 2 years down the track cadet gets job in mainline recieves same seniority as de pilot. De pilot feels ripped off due to 2 years of being productive where as cadet "seemingly" walks in gets same seniority as themselves. However company seemingly takes the view hey cadet you have been faithful to us in sticking with shelling out money, not earning much, being under scrutiny to meet established training pricipals and you still want to come to work with us. For your loyalty and devotion to sticking with it we will treat you as joining our company from the day you started your cadetship. hmmmm a company rewarding loyalty for a person. I wonder whether we should be applaudind such a thing?
The DE pilot feels ripped of as has probably had to jump through all sorts of hoops to obtain the experience endorsements to get there. However how many of thoose de pilots have exhibted real job loyalty to the companys they have worked for in the process. Hypothetically many De pilots have probably had small firms pay for endorsements in new types and then 6 months later moved on to bigger and better things so they can get to their goal of getting to said comnpanys mainline. Does this really speak of a persons loyalty ? SO qantas makes a bold psycholgic assesment of the canditure and suggest maybe not. The thing about generalisations are they are false
So they say hmm de pilot let you prove to us your loyalty as we know almost nothing of you so seniority comes from the day you enter the company.
The DE pilot gets upset because they are feeling like they a being type cast, because they felt they had to do it the "hard way". The comments about buying your way into a cadetship highlight this premise. You might like to explore the thought process that makes people feeling like it is the hard way but some of the best learning they did. Some might have learnt how to play the political game and how to screw the system up for people that follow them jump over the top of everybody and put down others to strive to get to the top. Some might have learnt that to get where they have got to they had to do that, but didn't like it and it was hard to cross some of the morals and ethics that were questioned. That is an individuals discovery process. Some may resent that process some may not. But learning things is genrally can be hard at first to come to terms with. (hard is a relative measure, what is hard for some is easy for others come back to einstiens relativity all back to the point of observation and can also have degrees. the degrees of freedom)
But maybe i have missed some of the points. I just feel that no matter what process you went to get into your position well done. Enjoy what entitlements that you have under the current award and de pilots stop being so selfish and thinking that what you have done makes you any more special than cadets. Yes you may have more experience, skills, but if you maybe view that seniority could be about loyalty and realise that you might get the chips of your shoulders thinking that experience counts for everything. Because i know i sure would like to be in a company that promotes a culture of loyalty. note: qantas does not always seem to promote loyalty it seems. or the feeling of feeling valued
so bring on the flames. If the issues are about the lack of humility that cadets show in a willingness to learn. thats a different issue in a lot of ways. but that is an issue that goes back to young buck old buck scenarios. So old bucks just have that knowing smile that comes from having that wisdom that has come with the wealth of years.