how about enforcing fines against the company - sure it costs money - but it shows the company the union is not the lethargic pushover it appears to be.
Jeez - really - it does NOT take almost 5 years to negotiate a pay deal unless something is seriously wrong!! What a disgrace!
maybe follow that up with protected industrial action - a few bouts of safety related duties only (the planes still fly!) but theres none of that famous virgin blue service.
How bout even going so far as asking the membership what actions they would be willing to participate in?
I'm not talking about a strike, so do not suggest that my ideas would bankrupt the company.
How bout a change in attitude as well - quit all this underdog crap. GREAT the FAAA went in to bat at the commission - well done - now finish the job!
The union is its membership - and I respect that unless the membership makes a move, the union as a collective can't. If the union is lethargic, its because its membership is lethargic. HOWEVER membership fees are being paid so that some sort of co-ordination exists at the top end, and I would argue that this 'top end' has become somewhat disjointed from the membership it represents.
I would love to hear a solid and realistic argument as to why some hard line action can not happen? And spare me the bleeding hearts bs about percentages - if 50-60% of the crew are taking protected action and only doing safety duties then surely the remaining percent face an impossible task getting a service done. WHO KNOWS!? Maybe it will even spur some of those potential FEE PAYING members that we so fondly refer to as 'freeloaders' to consider joining an organisation doing something tangible and visible to improve the situation.
Just to clarify, I am as pro-union as they come, I just hate to see the FAAA at their own funeral plot with shovels and their own home brewed 'punch'.
Isolating its biggest supporters, and feigning deafness when the cries for action dictate a forward direction is not the way to go.
On a side note - in further response to vbgirls post above:
Of course crew are afraid - they are answerable to a bunch of unqualified clowns (DMs) who don't even have the tact to keep their personal opinions on crew going fatigued to themselves. The personal (possibly tirets induced) spray I heard from one BNE DM about a crew going fatigued (personal comments included), was nothing short of disgraceful! Of course he has a job still - and the sad thing is, most of you will be able to guess who it is without me even mentioning the initials.
A week later I mentioned what happened and what was said in CRM, and I was shot down by the facilitator (a pilot I once had a great deal of respect for) as a liar, despite many witnesses present.
Last edited by ozangel; 8th Sep 2009 at 08:03.