Sherm, with respect:
What should the Impulse drivers have done when their airline was bought?
Ahh, negotiated a better deal? One which reflected long established benchmarks for pilot remuneration in this country? Fought for their profession, rather than say (as you suggest) "I cant get a better job, so I'll accept this one on crappy terms". This might have slowed or maybe even prevented this rapid slide to the bottom, I dont know?
It is very easy for spectators to make a judgement on this situation. Sherm, I presume you hold flying in Australia very deeply in your soul, and what happened in 1989 has helped shape who you are. But I fly for Qantas, I earned that position, and it too has shaped me. I'm one of those senior FO's who should have had a command by now, but by virtue of the LCC subsidiaries of QF, that is now quite a distance away. I'm watching as Jetstar recruits with one fifth of my experience gain a command on a shiny new A320.
Yes, I am annoyed at that, just as you are annoyed at those involved in 1989. So I expect that you might understand and share a little of my pain, because effectively, I am watching very similar things happen as happened to you back then. Trouble is, the two have zero to do with one another. We must fight the battle that we face now, not the demons of the past.
In fighting this battle, we must understand what brought about this situation. I can recall arguing with Impulse / Jetstar pilots at the start of this madness, and it gives me no pleasure to say "I told you so", because their unwillingness to negotiate, their "this is the best job I can get" attitude, their contempt for AIPA / Qantas, has dropped us all in it.
But what exactly is your advice in retrospect to each individual who got a job offer from Jetstar knowing that there were no other jobs available?
Was there no other job available to these guys? How do you know there wasnt? Where is your evidence?
I would suggest to you that most of these guys joined Jetstar to fly a shiny new A320, to get jet time up before moving to another higher paying carrier, only to find that the higher paying carrier doesnt exist! Is Jetstar a career oriented company? I think not, therefore, this was clearly a temporary gig for most of these people.
So, in truth, I cant answer your question fully. I can say that I understand why an individual might take a Jetstar job and again, I have no issue with any one Jetstar pilot, except perhaps for "MR", who seems to have turned his back on his bretheren, rather like "WK" in Qantas. I can also say that I am angry at the Jetstar pilot collective, for not having some collective "balls", and standing up and fighting for a career path, decent terms, and starting us on this downhill.
But again, it is in my interest as a QF pilot, and in the interest of my colleagues, to fight this battle on the Jetstar pilots behalf. Because I sure havent heard one peep from the Jetstar Pilot Council, or any other Jetstar pilot for that matter. This tends to confirm my suspicions that the Jetstar Pilot group, as a collective, is spineless and weak, and without our assistance, will be walked over once again, further denigrating our profession.
Sorry Sherm, you just happened to be nearby when I needed a rant. Thanks for listening.
