Angle of Attack said :
Yes i agree but if the longhaul pilot does a 4 hour duty SYD-CBR return do they get stick hours or 5.30 credit? There in itself is the problem. They should get 1.50 credit as every other airline does. No point going on about a 10.30 duty for 5.30 credit, that is an extreme example , if you factor in the higher hourly rate you actually make more in shorthaul compared to the 767. The company needs some flexibility 5.30 minimum pay is not one of them.
The vast majority of 767 duties fall in the range of 9-10:30hrs. I know they happen VERY occasionally, usually as a result of B737 unseevicability, but I have never flown SYD CBR SYD in 10 yrs on the 767. So who is using the extreme example now?
In addition, the company have the full length of the trip to
average out the days to achieve 5:30,
and generally do. As an example, I have 4 trips on my roster this month and 3 of those exceed 5:30 credits/day average.
5:30 MDC was a negotiated win for Long Haul Pilots, in particular those on the B767 at the time, which involved significant trade offs. Most 737 pilots who swing through the bottom of the squirrel cage and do actually fly SYD CBR returns for the month would agree that some form of MDC is desirable on the B737.
So no, I don't agree with your assertion that QF need to do away with 5:30 MDC, and funnily enough nor did they in the last round of negotiations.