STW & Angus
Well said STW..a perfect example of just let everyone else do the work and you collect. Just to set the record straight the GC's 'recommendation' was in fact a condition imposed by the company during bargaining. A red flag if ever I've seen one. The commitee's viewpoint was to take the payrise offered (unconditionally) and continue to lobby for a better deal..which I agreed with.
Angus..if that is/was your sentiment regarding the AOA's handling of proceedings pre/post 49-ers then why be a member..then or now? As with any 'industrial action' there are legal boundaries much as the UK/EU guys are facing now. The escalation, in increments including a hiring ban, was fully endorsed by the international pilot union bodies at the time. Your reaction to it makes me wonder if you were actually one of those inconvenienced by it. Why else would it bother you? A full blown strike may or may not have done the trick but with DT, a particularly aggressive ceo, at the wheel the consensus at the time(not just local sentiment)was that he was prepared to shut down operations..and re-employ everyone on much reduced contracts. The precedent of the Australian domestic debacle in the late eighties set the tone and showed that airlines can and will bring operations to a complete halt, and a country's travelling public to their knees(with a little help from the govt of course), in the course of breaking a union and destroying thousands of pilot's lives. I believe personally that he was prepared to do just that. That occurred in a country that far outweighs this one in the delivery of justice.
I too became disgruntled so when the self elected and short lived MG sold our FTL's and contracts down the river and pushed through a pro company motion to turn their collective backs on the 49-ers...I and a few hearty souls formed the CPU (at great expense) solely to fund the court case(s) being fought by those illegally terminated pilots and to continue financially supporting their wives and children...for 11 years.
So whatever you think of my opinions here...Whereas you advocate striking (anonymously)..There are many others who have put their money where their collective mouths were for years, stood up financially and legally for their sacked colleagues, and actually did something to bring about a successful legal result (albeit the hk version of one) for the 49-ers and made the ratbags who perpetrated these events admit their actions in the public eye.
What did YOU do exactly....errrrr....I thought so!
Last edited by BlunderBus; 3rd Dec 2014 at 05:18.