AIPAgate
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AIPAgate
Anyone else see this in today's Sydney Daily Telegraph?
On page 3, Author Joe Hildebrand
Posted without comment.
On page 3, Author Joe Hildebrand
THE offices of the Australian and International Pilots Association, which represents Qantas flight crew, have been broken in to as a bitter battle between the airline and the union over foreign jobs and pay disputes continues to rage.
An intruder entered the offices in Coward St, Botany, near Sydney airport, on Saturday night.
The Daily Telegraph understands the would-be robber or robbers entered the premises next door before breaking through two plasterboard walls to reach the AIPA offices.
Adding weight to the mystery, the association's files were ransacked and possibly copied but money and other valuables were not touched.
The union confirmed the break-in in a brief statement and said they were concerned.
``Police are investigating the incident and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this point,'' an association spokesman said.
``AIPA staff and members are concerned about the incident and await the outcome of the investigation.''
The break-in is thought to have occurred about 7.30pm.
Police said they do not know how many people were involved and do not have any clear leads.
The AIPA represents Qantas's 2300 pilots and flight engineers.
Relations between AIPA and Qantas are close to an all-time low after the association was recently taken over by a tough new reform group led by current president Ian Woods.
The union is furious over Qantas's plans to start up a low-cost Asian carrier -- Jetstar International -- that would hire foreign pilots for up to $100,000 less than their Australian counterparts.
AIPA has taken the airline to the Federal Court over the issue and also asked Transport Minister Warren Truss to intervene.
The two parties are also gearing up for a major pay dispute.
A spokesman for Qantas declined to comment on the break-in.
``It's got nothing to do with us,'' he said.
An intruder entered the offices in Coward St, Botany, near Sydney airport, on Saturday night.
The Daily Telegraph understands the would-be robber or robbers entered the premises next door before breaking through two plasterboard walls to reach the AIPA offices.
Adding weight to the mystery, the association's files were ransacked and possibly copied but money and other valuables were not touched.
The union confirmed the break-in in a brief statement and said they were concerned.
``Police are investigating the incident and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this point,'' an association spokesman said.
``AIPA staff and members are concerned about the incident and await the outcome of the investigation.''
The break-in is thought to have occurred about 7.30pm.
Police said they do not know how many people were involved and do not have any clear leads.
The AIPA represents Qantas's 2300 pilots and flight engineers.
Relations between AIPA and Qantas are close to an all-time low after the association was recently taken over by a tough new reform group led by current president Ian Woods.
The union is furious over Qantas's plans to start up a low-cost Asian carrier -- Jetstar International -- that would hire foreign pilots for up to $100,000 less than their Australian counterparts.
AIPA has taken the airline to the Federal Court over the issue and also asked Transport Minister Warren Truss to intervene.
The two parties are also gearing up for a major pay dispute.
A spokesman for Qantas declined to comment on the break-in.
``It's got nothing to do with us,'' he said.
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This is a significant event.
I doubt that it was a run-of-the-mill robbery that went wrong. Either it was staged or there are more sinister forces at work.
Seems a rather cowardly act to me!
I imagine this event will stir the pot.
I wonder if we will see anything of it on the Network 9 news? If it does make it I bet there will be some positive spin on it for Qantas. In fact having further considered my previous logic I could almost be cynical and suggest that it was chnl 9 - Looking for a storey for ACA!
I doubt that it was a run-of-the-mill robbery that went wrong. Either it was staged or there are more sinister forces at work.
Seems a rather cowardly act to me!
I imagine this event will stir the pot.
I wonder if we will see anything of it on the Network 9 news? If it does make it I bet there will be some positive spin on it for Qantas. In fact having further considered my previous logic I could almost be cynical and suggest that it was chnl 9 - Looking for a storey for ACA!
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Scary stuff indeed, this seems to be a peculiarly Australian Aviation way of dealing with their adversaries, really dumb but hey, and they aren't necessarily the most obvious ones.
It is not the first time it has happened, not with Qantas mind you, when a status quo has been threatened. My experience tells me it is more likely to be from within than without.
It is not the first time it has happened, not with Qantas mind you, when a status quo has been threatened. My experience tells me it is more likely to be from within than without.
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It is not the first time it has happened, not with Qantas mind you, when a status quo has been threatened. My experience tells me it is more likely to be from within than without.
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Vee Won Kutt
'Nuther place 'nuther time not so very long ago, and some very high profile individuals intent on "saving" us whether we wanted "saving" or not. 
Suffice it to say that the days when a gentlemans word was his bond and you could trust a brother in arms were invented to put the unsuspecting and gormless to sleep whilst the villains stole the fillings right out of your teeth, are, it appears, still with us.
'Nuther place 'nuther time not so very long ago, and some very high profile individuals intent on "saving" us whether we wanted "saving" or not.
Suffice it to say that the days when a gentlemans word was his bond and you could trust a brother in arms were invented to put the unsuspecting and gormless to sleep whilst the villains stole the fillings right out of your teeth, are, it appears, still with us.
Plausible Deniability
In line with the most outrageous precedents of modern governance the world over, both national and corporate, any person(s)/party with a vested interest in the various possibilities arising out of such pot-stirring will, of course, retain plausible deniability. Not to caste aspersions in any particular direction because I don't know who might be considered 'vested' here, but comments like 'It's got nothing to do with us' don't actually mean anything in my book. 
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Ask Botany Police if the Modus Operandi of this "break in" matches that of any known gangs in the area.If so ,ignore. If not then I would be asking some questions like ,what exactly do those 3 guys in the office next door to AIPA , the one's with the head sets on and just so happens the same office the "perps" broke in from ,really do. 
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Is this the same QF Security with a certain individual in the upper ranks
who was employed back in "89 to take mug shots of pilots protesting too much on picket lines?
The same gentleman who then sat in on interviews when Australian Airlines (nee TAA) started employing again, looking thru the mug shots to ensure no unsavoury characters got back in?
who was employed back in "89 to take mug shots of pilots protesting too much on picket lines?
The same gentleman who then sat in on interviews when Australian Airlines (nee TAA) started employing again, looking thru the mug shots to ensure no unsavoury characters got back in?
Have the offices profesionally checked for bugs. Also make sure any documents get shredded before discarding and make sure your computers are secure......
And No, I'm not paranoid and in the past I've benefitted by my competitors not taking even the slightest security precautions (it was all perfectly legal, it just wasn't very smart of them to dump their trial balances and customer quote calculations in their dumpmaster unshredded was it?)
And No, I'm not paranoid and in the past I've benefitted by my competitors not taking even the slightest security precautions (it was all perfectly legal, it just wasn't very smart of them to dump their trial balances and customer quote calculations in their dumpmaster unshredded was it?)
