rmcdonal asked;
1. "And why were QLink and Jetstar allowed to fly?"
Probably because you can do min rest overnights, and only get 8 days off per mth of which not all have to be in blocks of two consecutive days. QLINK pilots can fly 90+ hrs per mth without overtime and JQ's overtime threshold is a lot higher than 55 hrs per month. In other words, both QLINK and JQ have much more "friendly and flexible" workplace agreements in place(read cheaper). That is the issue here; nothing else.
2. "If big brother falls there would be collateral damage in these companies as well."
Big Brother is not going to fall. Remember the company posted a $500+ million dollar profit last year, and has not posted a loss for how long??
There is 3+ Billion in the bank and the Company is very strong and diversified to cover all facets.
It's union busting 101 and nothing more.