"The main difference was QANTAS in the past ran its business in such a way that it was profitable and could sustain a high cost unionised workplace."
Ahhh, mate, hate to burst your bubble but for most of QF history, it was a Government run airline and spent decades losing money that was supported by the tax payer. Being "run as a business" is a relatively new idea at QF and is only possible now as a result of my tax dollars propping it up to fly the flag as a flying club for all of those years before it was privatised.