''This is really heading to '89 territory here,'' says an airline executive, referring to the pilots' strike of that year. ''
Interesting quote to a journo from an executive. It appears to add credence to the theories on here that Qantas management are actually trying to escalate industrial action so they can be the good guys against the Big Bad Unions who are spoiling everyone's travel arrangements. The IR situation in 2011 is so different from 1989 that there is no real basis for comparison and nor is anyone threatening non protected action, so why mention it otherwise?
The more I read and hear, the more I think they are hoping for strikes because they make the heats-and-minds war so much easier.