Merged: Qantas Maintenance Pt.2

[MRS QANTAS]

Sad days ahead.Engineering like many of the other operations in qf is at this moment under the pump..I know many heavy maint engineers frequent this site, and as a line engineer with qf i would like to let you know amongst the majority of line and base engineers you are not expendable..The work you guys and girls perform is at an exceptional level, and plays a huge part in keeping qf engineering at a benchmark to be set by other airlines..Where we go from here i do not know..I can only suggest that engineering union members call the bexley office and ask what is being done to protect the environment and culture that has taken so long to build..The current situation is not going to stop at heavy, it will eventually roll into line operations..Pilots and the general public should also be concerned with what is taking place, and should feel free to voice there opinion at the A.L.A.E.A, located in bexley..Easily found telephone directory...United we should stand or we will all fall together...

[BHMvictim]

Just in case QF1 reads here, I refer to the following thread that has, (surprise surprise), been closed.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2463796#post2463796

QF1, I honestly don't believe you would carry out the actions that you stated in that thread. I would hope that you did not anyway. There are other ways to shame these servicing guys. Then again, from my time spent there as an apprentice many years ago, these actions are typical of the base maint. mentality; a reason also, I'd hazard to guess, that many Heavy Maintenance employees do not wish to redeploy to base maintenance.

I'd suppose people are getting tired of hearing it, but at this time, the union membership needs to start banding together to display solidarity. As was mentioned by the CEPU National organiser at the combined AWU/AMWU/CEPU mass meeting last Friday in Brisbane, we need to put past differences aside and fight Dixon AND Howard collectively against the rapid erosion of our conditions of employment.

ALAEA members, PLEASE, put the squeeze on your officials. DEMAND that they actively seek to mutually co-operate with all other unions. Unfortunately, the ALAEA seems to think they are elite in comparison to the rest of us. This MUST change if we are to have any chance at maintaining our conditions.

Sydney guys - do something to make yourselves stand out from your base maintenance counterparts. Approach them in a CIVIL manner, and question them as to why they are "looting" your home before you have vacated it. Ask them how they'd feel if the roles were reversed. Ask your delegates for stickers and start placing them on your uniforms. Encourage ALL members to do so. Lets see if these “looters” are members. If they are, then I’d hope that the display of union membership would shame them. Call a mass meeting to discuss what is going on. Get your officials out to assist.

Brisbane guys – next Wednesday marks a sad day. On this day, Dr Phil’s plans to undermine our jobs, finally comes to fruition. The contractors will even be given Qantas uniforms so as to blend in..…. as per Sydney staff, make yourself stand out. Send a message to management.

QF1, there’s no need to join the management mentality before you have even conceded to having been beaten.

I wonder how long it will be before the moderators close this thread?? It's as rude walking up to a group of acquaintances mid conversation and telling them "conversation over, could you all please find something else to do".

[HotDog]

Out of the 2600 odd heavy maintanace engineers, LAMEs and AMEs, only a handful of you voice your opinions on this forum. Nobody wants to see you loose your jobs but if you want to garner public support, you will have to restrain your rhetoric. QF1 is a prime example of how to alienate such support. Nor does it help to blame Howard for the turn of events taking place, he is on your side; the root of the problem in Qantas goes way back before his time.

[BHMvictim]

Nor does it help to blame Howard for the turn of events taking place, he is on your side; the root of the problem in Qantas goes way back before his time.
Howards is not to blame for the QF job losses, however he is most certainly not on the workers side. The IR reforms make this quite clear.

[hannibal lector]

:( Where is the alaea, it has been 10 days since the announcement and the most we have heard is 5 lines in the Australian


We are losing more people than the amwu/awu put together yet we don't here anything




please stand up and let us know u r there

[Rocket Rob]

I cannot see why you blokes stay inthe bloo*y self serving p*ricks association!!!!

[Pass-A-Frozo]

Has anyone looked at the effect the moving of heavy maint. out of Syd (and I guess Aus eventually) will have on government spending. Currently defence contracts out a lot of heavy maint to industry. It will be interesting to see what will happen if they can't contract out heavy maint on A330's , Hercs, C17's etc if the skill base is lost. Hopefully the introduction of some of the larger aircraft into the RAAF will raise demand for people with heavy maint skills, and create more jobs for you.

Hopefully we won't see the military heavy maint contracted overseas because of this. (Although it would give the military types a nice drop off flight and civvy flight home :)

[Turbo 5B]

Right........I'm back from the sin bin - apparently you cant use the words intercourse,humourous and dixon in the same sentence.
BHM dont underestimate what qf1 would do. If fellow union (i mean association ) members dont stand up for their comrades under attack then those who are being attacked can get pretty snarly.
Hot Dog...you never cease to disapoint me.
Howard's not to blame eh? Dixon and Cox and co are the driving force behind the move to have Qantas Aircraft maintained as cheaply, note that I say cheaply, as possible. They are doing this by slowly eroding the Qantas employed workforce with all the conditions and money that they have negotiated throughout the years and replacing them with lower skilled and lesser trained contract workers.
But it is Howard and his cronies such as Kevin Andrews,and the short sighted such as Barnaby Joyce that have handed Dixon the Ammunition to use against his workers.
Also QF1s outburst was directed at his fellow ALAEA members not at the public.
Mrs Qantas, couldn't agree more with what you have posted.
Rocket , we are only staying until either we lose our jobs or we can vote the current bunch of encumbent crooks and staff out to make the Association a strong, united union capable of fighting worker repression.
Frozo..probably not.
Qantas Maintenance is going O/S, probably within 2 years.
Avalon cant handle their own workload let alone the increase from Sydney being euthenaised.
Hannibal, the president and acting Industsrial manager were asked on the 10th (the day after the announcement) to come out and adress the affected staff, they still haven't managed to find the time

[The masked goatrider]

"If fellow union (i mean association ) members dont stand up for their comrades under attack then those who are being attacked can get pretty snarly."


The Melbourne boys are fully supportive and have presented a plan to assist our Sydney friends. If the plan isn't implemented, look in you own backyard for the usual suspects. The members are behind you though, don't take it out on them.

[Turbo 5B]

It's time the "usual suspects" were rounded up and shot for being traitors.

[Pass-A-Frozo]

are doing this by slowly eroding the Qantas employed workforce with all the conditions and money that they have negotiated throughout the years and replacing them with lower skilled and lesser trained contract workers.
But it is Howard and his cronies such as Kevin Andrews,and the short sighted such as Barnaby Joyce that have handed Dixon the Ammunition to use against his workers.
Really? So you understand what was legacy legislation and what is new??? I doubt it..
crap interpretation
Howard has handed it? Ok.. so explain to us all what you think the problem is.. in terms of federal law. Not your crap interpretation of that. So tell us Turbo, what does the new law actually state that you disagree with? Oh, what's that ? You don't know crap? Well.. I'd be impressed if you knew one sentance... well you may be able to find someone who was listening before the war.

You know, I have always hoped the best for people... you challange that belief.

[HotDog]

Turbo5, you might even get away with your particular choice of vocabulary and subjective replies if you made a bit more effort to master the English language. I'll gladly buy you an English dictionary if you care to pass me your address.:E

[Turbo 5B]

Frozo...You sound like you've had one too many tonight. I don't have half an hour at the moment to explain what differences there are in the new IR legislation to you but when I find some time I will.Still not sure what your gripe was with my post was though.
Hot Dog, thanks for the offer, send it to Turbo 5 at S245G, Qantas Jetbase Mascot.
Better make sure it gets there before the 28th April or I may not get it.

[fordran]

I have it on good authority from an Exec mate that the new IR laws will come in handy for Association members. Apparently the with companies of less than 100 employees there is no unfair dismissal laws. With that in mind I hear that the Association Manager CR has been told that he will be dismissed if one lame is made redundant against his wishes. Good luck CR.

[Pass-A-Frozo]

Frozo...You sound like you've had one too many tonight

How did you know that? :}

[BHMvictim]

I knew it. The usual stirrers have come along to antagonize. It seems if you have nothing worthwhile to contribute, you simply point out some ones poor spelling. BIG DEAL! Incorrect spelling or grammar is insignificant in the context of the argument.

[Apophis]

Where have the ALAEA gone has anyone seen or heard from them.:*

[HotDog]

Incorrect spelling or grammar is insignificant in the context of the argument.
Correct BHM but if you go into print, you may as well take a bit of effort to spell correctly if you want your argument to be taken seriously.

[domo]

heard over 100 left major maintenance yesterday any up dates on the stare of play

[Turbo 5B]

Sow wears my dickshonary then Hotdog?

Haven't heard of any numbers from Heavy yet?
I spent a day on the water with a large number of my colleagues today and the thing that struck me the most is sheer waste of talent when the axe falls.
There were some of the best brains and organisers of Aircraft Heavy Maintenance in the world on the boats today and not one of them has been offered a position at QF.
And if they do find a transfer, not one of them trusts the management of Engineering to run the place into the future.
They feel (and rightly so) betrayed and that theyhave been lied to.
How do you remain committed to the job under those circumstances?

By the way BHM when Fabio gets back to BNE from Syd tell him how Dr Phil got his name for me.

[HotDog]

I'll go and buy it tomorrow Turbo:ok:

[Turbo 5B]

Thanks
I'll just have your old one if you like, you've obviously finished with it and made corrections.

[HotDog]

No, I'll buy you a new one. Most probably spells better than me.:D

[Sunfish]

Wouldn't it be nice if China attacked Taiwan right now?

[qf 1]

arrrh i don't think so

[Pass-A-Frozo]

Out of interest.. What involvement do AME/LAME's have with turning an aircraft around now a days??

[Turbo 5B]

Ifr youre talking Lames/Ames in Sydney Heavy the answer is no role.
They've given our a/c to Singapore.

[Pass-A-Frozo]

Is the aircraft released back to maint on arrival in say Sydney?

[HotDog]

Wouldn't it be nice if China attacked Taiwan right now? Sunfish, you should have punctuated that statement with an appropriate smilie. Otherwise people might think you actually mean it.:(

[BHMvictim]

Correct BHM but if you go into print, you may as well take a bit of effort to spell correctly if you want your argument to be taken seriously.

Just go away.

[BHMvictim]

Wouldn't it be nice if China attacked Taiwan right now?

Shall our wonderful moderators suspend Sunfish for this incitement of violence?
My girlfriend happens to be Taiwanese and I find this comment offensive.

So moderators. Lets see some uniformity!

[Sunfish]

The point I was so flippantly trying to make was this "What happens if there is a falling out between ourselves and China after Qantas has committed itself to their heavy maintenance services?".

This is a real issue. We are currently re examining participation in the JSF program on just this issue: - "Operational Soveriegnty" and so are the British.

The USA wants to give us the aircraft , but not the ability to maintain them on our own - Lockheed would then "contract" to do all that for us. This means that the USA Government exercises de facto operational control over Australias defence, because they can simply "switch off" our aircraft in a similar manner to the way they "switched off" the Phoenix missiles on the Tomcats the Iranians had after their revolution.

Clearly heavy maintenance cannot be 'switched off" in the same manner, but there are any number of international events that could suddenly make aircraft maintenance in China problematic for Qantas - such as my reference to Taiwan.

It is possible to outsource where there is a thriving and highly competitive market full of vendors to choose from, but I don't think aircraft heavy maintenance has quite reached that stage yet.

By the way, U.S. news services are reporting that China's inflation is starting to warm up. That "20%" competitive advantage may not be available for long.

[AEROMEDIC]

Where have the ALAEA gone has anyone seen or heard from them.:*

Check your mailbox (if you're a member):hmm: