Just an update. There will be an ACTU meeting today to discuss this contentious issue. For Tech and Cabin Crew wondering what this is all about I will explain briefly.
Qantas want to bring in a new LAME licence that will allow the holder to certify for 90% of what we do. They will not have to sit a full Type course to learn about the aircraft (usually 3 months with an exam every week). They will not have to demonstrate 1000 hours of specific work on the plane that we must accrue in our Log books. They will not have to have sat the 25 or so post apprenticeship basic examinations on various aircraft systems. In fact they won't even need to have completed an apprenticeship.
They will have to have been in the industry for 2 years and they will recieve a training course that may be as little as a week. They will then be licenced to certify for your lives.
CASA call them Cat A LAME's. That is Cat A Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineers. The AME unions claim that they are not LAMEs. They are just AMEs with a Licence. This is so they can't join our Association. Fully supported by Qantas of course and these unions are now negotiating terms for their engagement and trying to lock the ALAEA out of these discussions.