Ixixly
First of all. I don't think QF will be making any pilots redundant anytime soon. Unfortunately I can't make the same assumption for non operational staff.
I've posted before. That Q currently had 2.1 managerial or supervisory staff for every one other employee. That's were the culls will happen.
Q are losing about the same rates of pilots per year in retirements to their current pilot surplus. They have held a pilot surplus of up to 190 pilots at its peak since 2009 excluding those of leave of absence.
And in informal passing discussions I've heard the comment that pilots within Q are just so darn expensive to be made redundant.
Whilst Qantas Management continue to babble on regarding labour costs. Experienced pilots can pick up a gig flying for Asian competitors and receive $18.5K USD net in their back pocket each months.
As for last on first off. Yes. Its written in the FWD and financially it also favours the company with redundancy payouts.
Take for example a 767 FO versus an A330 SO. At current payout figures the company would have to pay the FO close to $65k plus accrued annual leave compared to the SO around $18k plus leave. That's for the most junior of 767 FO ranks. Start making some senior 767 FO's redundant and were taking over $100k.
As for the JQ MOU.
There is a clause in the QF FWD that states the company will redeploy prior to redundancy. This is not a RIN redeployment. As the RIN is carried out prior to redundancies. So its a redeployment to other parts if the business.
Another part of the business is JQ, of which there's an MOU and as per my previous link. JQ are advertising for pilots.
For JQ to change there mind about recruitment. They would have to put on hold their recruitment for the period AIPA and the company were in discussions about CR. then also for the period they provide notice to the individual pilot (another 3 months).
Q would then put themselves in a position where they have given 3 months notice to a pilot of an impending CR and have that pilot continuing to fly for that 3 month period. Recall the lockout. Alan grounded the Airline because of a risk assesment about a possible lockout. Ouch.
If JQ/QF play silly buggers and put JQ recruitment on hold. For the period they made QF pilots redundant. Only to commence recruiting straight after. I think you'd see QF in court for transmission of business.
As for taking QF pilots back. They come back in seniority order when recruitment happens again.
I would think it would be difficult for the company to be recruiting newbies in JQ whilst QF pilots are made redundant and awaiting a call up per the FWD and a "redeployment" to JQ possible due recruiting requirements. But that's untested.
As for JQ NZ. They aren't party to the MOU. They are however part of the Qantas group. So I would envisage AIPA would discuss redeployment to another group airline prior to redundancy in mainline as required by the FWD.
I think the redundancy discussion is academic anyway. The Qantas group will need pilots with the forecasted growth rates of airlines in the Asia pacific.
I also believe the only reason QF haven't recruited in the last 5 years is they haven't got their B scale for pilots yet.
If they get a B scale the training will be running at capacity to play catch up with their competitors.
MC.