I've tried to think about this as a Qantas senior manager would, I really have. I've sat down, had a few good hard pulls on a crack pipe, and contemplated the benefits of this strategy. It still doesn't make any sense.
Ok, you want to pay all your workers a pittance and give them the conditions and rights of an 18th century coal miner. I get that bit. And words like "engagement", "morale" and "loyalty" are meaningless because they don't appear in a balance sheet.
But ....
Up until this point in time, you've had 2 pilot groups which have successfully been divided. One of those groups is cheap by world standards, mostly non-unionised and compliant, something approaching an industrial nirvana. Best of all, there's animosity between the 2 groups and you can now play them off against each other at will.
Now you're actions have caused the 2 groups to start talking and collaborating, and union ranks are swelling. Why destroy the perfect lever you've created to crush the more expensive group of pilots? Why not wait until that act of bastardry was completed?
This is at a time when you are spruiking major expansion plans in Asia, with a significant amount of new hardware arriving over the next few years. Wouldn't you at least keep one group of employees on side until they'd helped you introduce the new type, get the network established etc etc and then slap them with your Shake Hands with the Devil contract?
Also, recently your work practices have come under close scrutiny in the Senate Inquiry and FWA. Now is probably not the best time to tighten the thumb screws and draw further attention to your draconian contracts. In fact, considering the senate inquiry hasn't tabled its final report, it's just sheer contempt.
To me, this strategy has the smell of desperation. Why is there such a need the push the edge of the industrial envelope so hard and so fast? Could it be that the current business strategies aren't performing as expected?