MEA332,
I am glad somebody else shares my viewpoint. I think that Steve does to some extent as well, however I understand his position.
Approx. 15 years ago the guidance counsellors at the local high schools were advising their students that across their working lives they would change jobs and possibly careers no less than 7 times throughout their working lives.
That philosophy I am sure would be even more relevant today.
Unfortunately as LAE's tied into a pay structure that recognises experience gained (time served) within the company and does not recognise experience gained outside the company, we end up like the pilots being based on essentially a seniority system that sees rewards come purely on time served.
This is a two edged sword.
Qantas as a company deprives themselves the opportunity of employing some very experienced LAE's purely due to the fact that those people would be treated as first year LAE's under the Qantas pay scale, and shy away from applying due to this.
As well as that there is a tendency to not want to leave the system for fear of losing your place in it.
Both of those phenomena play into the companys hands and assist them in maintaining lower wages, as well as being out of touch with the modern world of a mobile workforce.
GB