“Like 45 years without industrial action?”
The lack of industrial action merely highlights my point that Qantas has been held to ransom by its highly unionized staff and the short sighted management have simply kicked the can down the road.
Prof, you implied that Qantas pilots' salaries were the result of 'belligerent strong-arming' by the pilots' union. Now you're suggesting that a complete absence of industrial action for decades is proof of this? Of course, 45 years of strikes would also prove it - so in other words, no matter what happened, it would be evidence of union belligerence. Seems to me that you're starting with your conclusion and trying to mould the facts to suit.
I'd suggest that there was a remarkable lack of belligerence for a very long time, to the point where Dixon reportedly described AIPA and its membership as 'softcocks'.