Workplace demographics are profoundly changing.
The Australian Treasury released a paper, 32 pages in total that shows graphically the wave of retirements.
https://demographics.treasury.gov.au...challenges.pdf
Lookleft, the paragraph was written by a former AIPA union president. What strikes me as amazing is that pilot unions do not read these government reports and look at top down macro reality before expressing subjective opinions. In effect union representation is largely confined to responding to company (IR) started brush fires, ignoring economic reality. The statement went on to say;
'While AIPA has previously fought very successfully against the use of 457 Visa programs for pilots and always will, there is no guarantee such schemes will never be exploited. Another option available to airlines is to simply lower entry requirements – whether in respect of flying experience or other assessment criteria. One large Middle-Eastern lowered its entry requirements recently to meet pilot requirements.
Finally, the implementation of programs such as the Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL), which has been given the imprimatur of bodies such as IATA and ICAO, potentially combined with traditional airline pilot cadet schemes, has the potential of supplying a steady stream of new airline pilots at the legal standard required'
In isolation, the statements seem reasonable, but they are terribly myopic.
Pilot supply is global. Whilst Australia may be a better place to live than many, at some point airlines will protect a strategic asset (yes that is a pilot) and offer attractive terms and conditions, commuting contracts and the like if their incremental steps do not attract sufficiently qualified applicants. To also be fair the author did state there are better ways to treat pilots to retain them and that is to offer more generous terms and conditions.
That is the point of this post, IR driving Qantas policy, HR capture of recruiting and an airline the shell of itself, with stagnant careers, Orwellian management and banal uniform policies has had its day.
My former colleagues myself included watched as management went crazy hoping for the birth of a modern IR trojan horse (JQ), sadly with many models the theory never lit off in practice.
Thus given;
- EK need 800 pilots next FY
- Qantas have at least 300+ training moves and continued recruitment to address a demographic shortfall
- Numerous carriers in the Asian region offering increasingly attractive remuneration packages
- A demographic problem growing in size
Can an airline like Qantas continue to allow IR driven crap of divide and conquer? My suspicion is yes as the corporation is captured by HR/IR control. Flight operations collectively left their self respect at the door when taking the corner office and myopic union management has made it all the easier. It however will contact with global supply reality in the nearer future than HR want.
I have been flamed before, and as the union president implied "Australia is somehow different" but is it?
- CASA licence issuance at historic lows
- RAAF applications ordinarily totalling 3,000 per annum lagging at circa 25%
https://www.pilotcareernews.com/trut...ilot-shortage/
Airlines Scrambling to Prevent Pilot Shortage | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Pilots say shortages causing cancellations | Stuff.co.nz
The Coming U.S. Pilot Shortage Is Real | Commercial Aviation content from Aviation Week
It will be interesting to see how a dinosaur Chairman and petulant CEO address a new paradigm when every waking moment of their time at the helm has been to denigrate and divide, aided and abetted by faceless IR 'practitioners'
