EFAFO, I think you're missing the point
Rather than use crews who are already trained and that are currently on forced leave, Qantas freight dept. is apparently on a recruitment drive in the Middle East for 747 freighter pilots.
If in fact it is, why would any executive want to employ more pilots when they have a surplus of trained pilots that can do the work immediately?
It would appear that only an industrial agenda could explain why trained and surplus pilots are not afforded this work, even for a short period.
This says a lot about how Qantas pilots are actually valued by senior management.