Wiley - Thanks for the reply it was one of the more rational and considered posts. I accept your argument that their were a lot of tourism operators who were sailing close to the wind anyway but the basis of any tourism operator is tourists and if they're not provided in great numbers by the airlines then all operators suffer. Some of your points highlight the fact that the AFAP was never going to win because the Government, the airlines and the media were all against you and had actually been planning for it for a long time. That the Government and the PM were less than ethical is beyond doubt. That the Accord only disadvantaged wage and salary earners is also to the ALP's and ACTU's shame. As to the medias bias I think reflects on the general public's attitude "I don't care who gets me there as long as I get there". This misreading of public attitude was best summed up by the airline pilot I met at the time who said "The public want their Federation pilots upfront". No they didn't, they demonstrated that they would even put up with the basic noisy conditions of RAAF Hercs in order to get to their destination. The point about Enterprise Bargaining is also a good one its one that continues to degrade wages and conditions. It doesn't justify the dispute however it just shows that its timing may have been ill considered. All of this is history and can be debated ad infinitum possibly being the subject of a future Phd. All protaginists were caught up in events bigger than they had envisioned and no one could consider themselves to be unscathed. All EWL is suggesting is that with the passing of time consideration should be given for people not let blind hatred consume them. Some won't or can't let that hatred go but I am sure their are moderates amongst the 89ers who could if they are allowed to by their peers.