This part of the
rant is documented:
The Pilots at that time approached the Australian Qantas Pilots Union and asked them to represent us because we felt that the NZALPA was basically just for the Air NZ Pilots and would not represent us properly. The reply from the Australian Union was basically they were not interested and for us to take a flying jump, end of story.
The "hat" anecdote I mentioned, is also true (AIPA pressured Flight Department management); it shows the attitude of AIPA at the time – petty. But, AIPA of then was different from now – it had tunnel vision and a superiority complex: the blinkers are now off.
The facts in the
rant are on the money; the ethical dilemma is another story. Whether engineered or stumbled on, the Jetconnect strategy divides Qantas group pilots – both are claiming the moral high-ground for different reasons. The company will try and widen the divide; only the QF (paid) pilots cooperating will narrow it.