Wishing the Ansett Administrators a Merry Xmas

[VH-WASA]

It's that time of year again when everyone should be in good spirit, except for all the former Ansett employee's who were originally told to expect, and were expecting, a percentage of their owed entitlements before Christmas, is not going to eventuate now according to the latest Employee Update newsletter from the Ansett Administrators, the two Marks.
They are unable, apparently, to disburse any further employee entitlements prior to Christmas because Justice M.Warren, the Supreme Court Judge, has not handed down her decision yet in the Ansett Ground Staff Superannuation case. So what!
There must be millions of dollars in employee entitlements, from sold assets sitting somewhere. Where is it? Why can't some of it be paid to the employee's now? Why are the Administrators holding on to it? So where is it all going to go? Obviously being used in running the administration. I don't think they have any intention of paying out anymore entitlements at all because they can see a fortune to be made for themselves. If the two Marks were told to stop playing games ages ago with their fantasy airline and get on with the business of winding up Ansett, as they were appointed to do, then the employee's might have been able to get 100% of all entitlements well before now. Anyway, who monitors, scrutinizes the Administrators? Are they using employee entitlements to run their Ansett Engineering business at Tullamarine? If so who gives them the authorization to use our money? Who has the power or authority to sack, remove the Administrators and appoint someone to quickly wind up this sorry affair so we can all move on with our lives? With no representation anymore, the two Marks can dictate anything they like and are making sure that this saga becomes a rich annuity for them and their staff.
There are still alot of Ansett employee's from all different areas hurting out there, unemployed and having difficulties finding employment in the same professional positions, would love to have that little extra to spend on their families and make Christmas a Joyous occasion, but now will probably be overwhelmed by feelings of loss and insecurity once again.
I wonder if the two Marks can sleep comfortably at night knowing what a miserable Christmas former Ansett employee's will have and that they have millions of dollars that does not belong to them which should be paid to the employee's before Christmas whether or not Justice M.Warren has made her decision or not. There is just nothing we can do about it so I hope the Adminictrators have a Merry Xmas.

[Woomera]

This thread has recently been transferred from The main Reporting Points forum but the thread date pushed it down the page.
It contains some interesting questions?
So up to the top.

[GoGirl]

I well recall last year, a week before Christmas, the Ansett staff being told that the entitlements would be paid prior to the BIG DAY...
...when a week lapsed, after the BIG DAY and still no payments had been made, my partner was then fed up with the seeming beuracracy being dished out.
He then spent 3 days ruthlessly chasing his entitlements, and only when he threatened to take it to the media did he have any success.
1 week later, he was paid out in full, with the exclusion of SEESA.

I know it sux, but sometimes kicking and screeming does work, it's just unfortunate that the outcome of further payouts have now gone down the tack of being a federal case. Threatening media involvement seems to have lost its pull.

Or has it?

Just a thought.



Thinking of those worse off than us this Christmas period, and wishing you all a hopefull 2003.

Regards
GoGirl

[luna landing]

I distinctly remember one of the Administrators saying in an interview that "as the money came in from the sale of assets etc more staff entitlements would be paid". He gave the distinct impression that percentages of entitlements would be paid as assets were sold - not "a final payment".

Assets have been sold, and surely not all that money would be required to be set aside for this current legal wrangle. Why then have they not honoured their undertaking to make part payments as money permitted. At least staff could enjoy a happier Christmas than last year.

I'm sure the Administrators' children won't have empty Christmas stockings this year!!

Even 10% of what they are owed would have made a difference to everyone's Christmas.:(

[jupiter2]

The current legal wrangle regarding the unpaid staff super.
Wouldn't the past owners of Ansett, be reasonably liable for that?
Both News Corp and Air NZ are very much around and doing pretty good.
I dont see why, the money that I'm owed should be even considered in any of this.
Can these companies be pursued to recover this cash?

[Ramboflyer]

The Administrators had better have a big light at the end of this tunnel , i mean apart from the aircraft QF would have snapped up all the maintenance facilities in the first week.
According to a builder friend of mine the head office building was sold for less than it would cost to build, free land in the cbd why didnt the superfunds buy it.
These guys must have another agenda such as a third airline otherwise they will be condemmed to sipping pina coladas in RIO for the rest of their days.
:mad:

[FBD]

why don't you point the finger at the unions...after all, the two Marks were/are just puppets for them.

I will go as far as to say that if the unions had kept right out of the whole saga right from day 1 of the collapse, we probably would have had a better result for everyone...employees, traveling public etc.

In reference to the comment about having the power to remove the Administrators- you had your chance but your unions got your fellow workmates to keep them in...look to the unions to lay blame people!

[Uncle Festa]

An opportunity to implement some much needed structural reform went begging when PWC was removed as Administrators on the basis of, what seemed to be, an insignificant conflict of interest.

In short, a "close the airline/hammer out more effective EBAs with the unions (who would have been forced into a "negotiate or be dammed" position)/simplify AN's fleet type etc" scenario could have been played out that would have significantly increased AN's attractiveness to a potential purchaser.

However such a scenario would not have been attractive to the ACTU who was (and still is) suffering a decline in membership to the point where, as Union representative body, it seems to have become an irrelevance. Suffice to say the ACTU had a different agenda and PWC did have a conflct of interest (one instance where size does not matter!).

As a consequence, we witnessed the appointment of Messrs Korda and Mentha and with them a flood of accountants and lawyers who had little experience, if any, in running a lumbering, complicated business such as Ansett but at least they seemed keen. To put this lack of industy/commercial knowledge in some context one only has to think of the hash that our NZ friends made of running the AN elephant and these guys supposedly had experience in running an airline and one that made (small) profits to boot!

As I recall the ACTU acted on behalf of Ansett employees in securing the appointment of Korda and Mentha. I'd be interested to know if any ex-AN employees were consulted by our "comrades" in this matter. I certainly wasn't neither were any of my AN friends and colleagues.

The two Marks (God bless their souls) managed to "keep Ansett flying". Abysmal load factors were the result with money being burnt at a frightening rate and with it, employee entitlements and any chance of a return that might have existed for unsecured creditors.

Enter FLEW. The backslapping that went on during the day that the "deal" was announced was sickening (particularly that which I witnessed in the cafeteria of 501 Swanston St). With a who's who from the Victorian Labour Party and our ACTU comrades all in attendance on election eve, it's not surprising that a Federal Liberal government gave the whole thing a wide berth.

One thing perplexes me. In their efforts to sell the business to FLEW, did the two Marks obtain any form of deposit or legally enforceable guarantee? If not, why not? I'm not aware of too many deals that are done where one party to the deal bears absolutely no risk if it all turns pearshaped and pearshaped at their discretion.

A message to the two Marks (if you're reading) - please explain.

Love
Uncle Festa

A final word - I find it somewhat ironic that Mr Anderson feared an AN/SQ/NZ behemoth in August last year but now believes that a dominant carrier in the shape of an NZ/QF alliance is good for the region. Still politicians are not regarded for their memories - just ask Carmen Lawrence!

[TheNightOwl]

Right on, Uncle! Once again, I urge all to monitor the future career of "The Minister For Qantas" when he leaves politics. It will come as a huge surprise to me if he doesn't end up on the QF board as a reward for his protection of QF during the AN debacle.
For the interested parties, yes, I am an ex-AN employee, and still bloody angry!

Kind regards,

TheNightOwl. :mad: :mad:

[SOPS]

Hate to say it , cant say the date as I am not allowed to anymore, But in the year I can not mention the ACTU "looked after" all its members. The pilots, they said ,"were bad, evil and not to be trusted" "Stay with us and what is happening to the pilots, will never happen to you". Thats what they said, thats what they promised, and thats what they took peoples money for.

Well, you pay your money, you take your choice.

[Buster Hyman]

I just don't understand a corporations law, that allows a parent company to relinquish any responsibility for a failed unit under it's control! I know they paid off the administrators to not sue each other, but how can they get away scott free, when they are clearly profitable now?

Maybe, for Christmas, there's a lawyer somewhere, waiting to file documents as soon as QF get into ANZ, and we'll all be rich....:rolleyes: ....maybe there's a tooth fairy too....

[Pimp Daddy]

from news.com.au

Court clears Ansett payouts
By Susan Murdoch
December 20, 2002

ANSETT administrators have won a court case ensuring $200 million of entitlements from the airlines' assets would not be given to a superannuation fund.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Warren said the money owed to the Ansett Ground Staff Superannuation Fund did not attract priority over other creditors.

Outside court, Administrator Mark Korda said the $200 million would now remain in the pool of entitlements for Ansett's 15,000 former staff.

"The money will go to employees as their entitlements rather than being paid to superannuation, which the employees wanted and voted on," he said.

The parties will be back in court on Monday for orders but administrators cannot pay out the entitlements until the 21-day appeal period has finished.

Mr Korda said administrators had requested the earliest possible date to ensure employees were paid as soon as possible.

If no appeal is lodged, the first instalment of entitlements could be paid by the end of January. However, Australian Services Union (ASU) said even with the $200 million going towards entitlements, former Ansett staff were still $100 million short in what was owed to them.

"Given the $140 million raised so far by the Federal Government's Ansett ticket tax, Mr Howard could make good overnight by forwarding the ticket tax to Ansett workers," ASU assistant Victorian secretary Ingrid Stitt said.

"The decision will bring some relief to Ansett staff who are on the verge of their second difficult Christmas since the airline's crash, but the scrooge act of the Federal Government is denying these workers and their families their full entitlements."

AAP

Unfortunately this means that there won't be a payment before Christmas but at least it it progressing.



"Given the $140 million raised so far by the Federal Government's Ansett ticket tax, Mr Howard could make good overnight by forwarding the ticket tax to Ansett workers," ASU assistant Victorian secretary Ingrid Stitt said.

Amazing after so long that the idiots from these unions still don't know what the levy is for. The Govt has already forwarded ~$300m for some entitlements , why should they pay more? I don't want my taxes wasted.