Look no further than the PPRuNe thread closed recently entitled QF staffing. The poster posed a reasonable question that appeared genuine regarding the costs, work practices and lack of contract labor within QF only to be locked out rather rudely by the PPRuNe moderator. What chance do we have of rational debate?
Professor,
The poster was deemed a "troll" by the moderator and if you were to look at that person's previous posts, you may see why.
Additionally, it's seems there is a continued belief that the unions are somehow responsible for all of the problems in Qantas and the board are blameless.
The reality is that, in time, employee EBA's evolve to better fit the business model and circumstances, and this is done by agreement through the unions. The unions are representing the wishes of the workforce, so if a sound and sensible proposal is put to the employees via the unions, then progress to a better outcome for all is made.
There is also a lack of understanding about the rates of pay and what they represent. Comparison to the automotive or other industries is plainly dumb.
Pilots and engineers, for instance, are paid for RESPONSIBILITY and skill sets unlike any other industry, and to risk harping on the point, when things go wrong in the sky or a catastrophe is prevented by professional oversight on the ground, the payment for that responsibility is justified. Put yourself in the place of a passenger experiencing an in flight emergency and think about how much it's worth to have a pilot up front that has been trained to deal with it effectively to return the aircraft to the ground safely.
The competition in airlines today means running the operations as lean as practical while ensuring SAFETY, and multi layered management needs to be replaced with multi tasked management . Some airline managements are even prepared to compromise on safety to run even leaner and THAT can only end in disaster.
Airlines that are prepared to take risks with passengers lives to save money should not be in business.
The argument for contract labour is debatable, however, it's my view that this should only occur as overflow. Employment security by being permanent aids in keeping the best staff.