would you fly an aircraft for $16 per hour even if every Friday was a free sausage sizzle...
The current Pilot General Aviation Award (and at the time I was earning it, it was less) for a Single Engine aircraft above 1360kg Classification is $34,614 pa.
So, divide that by 52 weeks a year and 40 hours a week and you have $16.64 and hour. So Lowerlobe, your answer is yes I have, many others have and still are flying planes for $16 an hour, and in all the cases I've ever heard of there were never and Friday sausage sizzles or the like unless we organised and paid for it. These people often have the lives of 5 others in their hands, have gone through lengthy and expensive training. I'm surprised you wouldn't know this as I'm guessing you're a pilot with a name like lowerlobe, unless of course you are a cadet with a trust fund.
The guys and girls flying around those light aircraft have far more responsibility than anybody throwing bags. Now I will admit that $16 and hour is pretty poor, so maybe it should be slightly more being that that is only $1.70 an hour over the min wage. However I have heard and I will stress anecdotal stories of rampys earning up to $70k a year. I'd like to hear from others if this is bul***it I have been fed and what the Qantas Rampys earn. I can see why Qantas would want to shed some deadwood and outsource to companies that don't pay unskilled workers professional wages.
Some of the posts here never cease to amaze me...
Firstly,I think you can simplify any job description and put a case for any rate of pay ....any business will do that but the question that should be asked is......are you earning $16 per hour in your job,higherplane?
I don't think my post should cause that much amazement. Please feel free to elaborate on any more responsibilities or the like that Rampys have, which would warrant an above average pay for an unskilled job.
I also stand by my comments about staff turn over. I will admit some will leave for a higher wage, but it will only be some. Most people will stay if they are happy in their work place.
On a side note something that really pissed me off about this strike was seeing Qantas jets lined up waiting for bays chewing through probably tens of thousands of litres of fuel. That is so environmental irresponsible it sickens me.