There is a massive global pilot shortage. It's all due to a mass of retirements.
Demographics are the surest financial bet there is; problem is that it takes decades to play out.
Adversarial IR modeled their practices on unlimited supply. Supply is now limited. I know numerous Ryan air pilots who have had enough, no amount of threats will work. Having pulled the curtain back they exposed the model for what it is; adversarial but ultimately flawed: The emperor has no clothes.
Pilots were grounded, locked out and threatened. Every statement Mr Joyce made to his pilots was derogatory, just like O'Leary. They had their fun at your expense, the ignored the human cost and now Mr Joyce is the most heavily remunerated CEO in Australia!
The model is fundamentally flawed: Supply is limited and they have accelerated their own demise by driving conditions to a point where the return on investment just does not exist. They won for a few decades.
I would be watching your myopic union, giving handshake concessions,
'in the spirit of co-operation' As I am informed privately by whom I assume are Qantas pilots the company already are in breach on 'available days' use and not actually paying back the days as per your short haul agreement?
Thus the issue is not the crewing of Jetconnect, that is naturally in crisis, what ought concern pilots is simply the precedent. If your union gives ground and offers a concession the next down turn sees more threats.
The model is a hammer and every problem must be a nail..