Who are you referring to,LAMEs in general,or Qantas AMEs?
I was really referring to airline LAME's that think they are worth $150k in GA. The truth is that they are above the international market for airline LAME's at that figure and above the price (salary) of comparable other fields of endeavor.
But, it probably applies to all of the above
Guys at Holden & Toyota are now discovering that now that they have killed the goose that laid the golden egg they can't command the rates they have been getting at Elizabeth & Altona in ordinary industry.
Historically, Australia was more productive than moist of the world because we tend to make do with less by being innovative and covering a wider range of skills. This meant that we could pay people more. But now that the full enterprise agreements of Holden & Toyota have become public, we can see exactly how many inefficiencies and hidden costs have worked themselves into the system. If we are going to have the same (or worse) work productivity as the rest of the world, we must accept the same pay rates as the rest of the world. We are no longer an isolated Island.