Dear aerocom,
I think you really need to have a a Bex, a nice cup of tea, and a a lie down.
Then once 'refreshed' you need to go and have a look at the Supply vs. Demand module in Economics for Dummies so that you can 're-base' your philosophy of:
why should we work for less just because of current times.
Well, the simple fact is, aerocom, that once unemployment starts to really bite (and it hasn't yet), then supply (of labour) > demand (for labour) will sheet home the reality to you that you will be paid what the employer can afford to pay in its/his/her attempt to remain in business, and not one cent more. Of that you can be sure!
I really look in almost total disbelief at your statement:
just because other companies close shop for what ever reason you should not have to do a job for crap money
Oh dear.
Here's the REALLY bad news for you aerocom ..........if YOUR employer closes shop or substantially continues to scale back OR cancell scheduled services to/from regional centres because supply > demand as a result of many too many folks in rural Oz who can't afford to use your employer's services (and if you come from rural Oz, then believe me aerocom, it's getting pretty close to that now in a lot of areas in SE Oz because of a variety of reasons......economic, drought and NOW fire disasters) then YOU won't be getting just 'crap money' I'm afraid if your job goes.........nope......you'll be getting 'f*ck-all money'.
Try working for yourself aerocom..........you may find that if you did, then your present attitudes would probably change quite dramatically.
Having said all that, I sincerely hope that all of you folks at REX get the increase that you DO deserve, and that it's backdated as well!
Cheers,
SIUYA