Merged: Qantas Engineers Set to Strike

[DrBenway]

hello,

first time poster, long time reader.

i just felt like saying a few things as a qantas engineer;

I feel a lot of people (especially managerial desk jockeys) consider the company they work for just a stepping stone until something bigger and better comes along.

Dickson will leave after a few years with a massive payout, (weather or not the company is doing well) and he wont even care what happens to Qantas as long as he has a fat wallet to move onto the next company.

However as an engineer I feel that this is a job, and a company that I would like to work for for the rest of my life (until retirement anyway).

To say "if you dont like the working conditions then leave" is very easy, however a lot of us have seen many geoff dicksons come and go,(with various forms of success, but always with a nice payout) and probably consider Qantas is more 'our' company than any one else's as we will be here for a long time yet.

To just "pack up and go" and leave Qantas to rot would be a very hard thing to do for a lot of us, and we would rather stay here and fight for better wages and conditions, which in turn will improve the quality of the company, than take the easy way out.

I feel sorry for people who think that it is such a small thing in their lives to just switch their jobs so easily, your overall job satisfaction must be very minimal indeed, but hey, at least you get to drive around in a merc and impress your friends right?

This is not for me, we are not looking for a massive payout so we can buy a new car or apartment, we are just looking for a fair pay rise to cover the increased cost of living.

Managers come and go, but Engineering is for life.

[wanty]

Originally Posted by Pass-A-Frozo

See that is my real point. You feel hurt because in your opinion you have missed out. What you want to do is hurt others who have nothing to do with your beef with management.

Stoppages and strike action send people out of business. Hence a point I made earlier in thread - what expense are you happy with? 10 small businesses and their employees going out of business? 20? 30? I'd be interested to hear how much pain you are willing to inflict on others to achieve your goal? Why should they suffer that?

Not too many people in society agree with secondary boycotts. The problem with the industry you work in is that your actions cost many many people in other industries (similar effect to a secondary boycott). Hats off to Wanty for being honest saying he doesn't care if it costs. I don't agree with it but at least he's being honest that he doesn't care if the QF Brand suffers (due to the suffering of others).

Thats not entirely true,I do care for the people whose business's are affected. But Qantas are to blame for the following reason.

If Geoff had of being paying his workforce realistic wages for the last 10 years,he wouldn't have been able to "offer" freight services for example, to the public, quite so cheap and hence wouldn't have gained so much work for Qantas in the first place.

So in affect,Joe Bloggs,the man on the street, who chose Qantas to do his business with,unbeknown to him,has been getting services from Qantas on the cheap,at the expense of the workers GD has employed,all while lining his own pockets with HUGE profits.

GD and his cronies fault these businesses are hurting now.

THE BUCK STOPS WITH GEOFF

[Toolpants]

Fantastic post DrBenway.

I received that “2ue talkback radio” file from the asn today. Couldn’t we pay someone to play it through the terminals.

[Teal]

Qantas trip a Fawlty Towers fever dream

From today's crikey.com.au

Qantas trip a Fawlty Towers fever dream

Disgruntled Qantas passenger John Sneddon writes:

Last week I was prepared to give Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon the benefit of the doubt when listening to his opposition to a 5% pay rise for engineers. However having attempted to fly from Brisbane to Sydney on the 10.15am Qantas flight (QF517) on Saturday morning I am not so sure. My experience was like a Fawlty Towers fever dream. Upon arrival at the airport nice and early with 2 excited children (aged 5 and 3) in tow, my wife and I were notified our flight would be delayed 20 minutes due to the late arrival of our aircraft. Initially we didn't mind the short delay as we had the opportunity to ensure we were all seated together and calm down our excited offspring. However the delay was quickly bumped out another 20 minutes for good measure. We were then told our plane had arrived but we would be delayed another half an hour while they repaired a water leak in the luggage hold. After 30 minutes we were told we would be delayed further while they "sourced" (their word) a replacement piece of hose. We were then told Qantas needed a new plane which would arrive in 20 minutes "or so". The next announcement informed us the new aircraft would leave in 1 hour and ten minutes or "perhaps a little longer".
Passengers who had connecting international flights were understandably irate and had to deal with a cynical spokesandroid sorely lacking in PR skills (who incidentally, bore a striking resemblance to the Steve Vizard Qantas steward character -- he didn't hum the opening bars to Les Miserables, but you get the picture). My wife was informed that no refreshments would be provided to our young children, because they didn't deserve it "yet". She was urged to "Read [her] contract. We just agree to get you from A to B, not get you there on time." I must remember to look for that line in the next "I still call Australia home" advertising campaign.
When the plane finally arrived, several flights were squeezed onto the one aircraft, creating mayhem with the boarding passes. Passengers who finally got to the departure gate were sent back to the aforementioned spokesandroid to get new boarding passes; a technicality which had not occurred to management until they invited passengers to board the aircraft.
When we finally got our new boarding passes, I discovered the kids and I were seated about 20 rows from my wife, which had the potential to cause a few difficulties if one child needed the toilet mid-flight. When I pointed this out I was informed by a frustrated screen jockey there were no vacant seats around me and I would have to "deal with it". By now I regarded this inconvenience as the least of my worries, and happily agreed to do so. But once the aircraft's doors were closed I was amused to discover an empty seat right next to me which the long-suffering flight attendants permitted my wife to sit in once we were airborne. Not that we got into the skies in a hurry. We had to sit on the tarmac for another 20 minutes because (wait for it) ... they couldn't get one of the jet engines started! (I swear to God I'm not making this up) When the cabin crew announced that they needed to find some gizmo called an "air starter", the entire plane erupted in hysterical laughter. It was a touching moment. The passengers had bonded together in the face of almost comical adversity. By now we were beyond caring and actually starting to enjoy the show. The next announcement was a classic.
We were told to not worry about the smoke off the starboard bow because that was just the exhaust from the elusive "air starter" and not a sign that the plane was on fire. Even the cynical amongst us started to belly-laugh. One wit seated near me asked if we were actually bound for Yogyakarta. I know the joke was in bad taste but I guess you had to be there. Eventually the plane took off 3 hours late. You may regard this as just another whinging passenger story but it was so comical as to be a cause for concern. I heard one man complain that his earlier flight was delayed and he was bumped onto our farcical flight. So that was potentially 2 or 3 flights merged into one. I assume there is some sort of cost benefit in that, but there was no suggestion of this being shared with the frustrated passengers.
My wife also overheard the cabin staff saying rolling delays were being experienced as a result of fog at Brisbane airport, but the fog had certainly cleared when we arrived at the airport at 8.30am and we were never informed the situation was the result of bad weather. The cabin crew were understandably pleased that they only had to make 2 flights that day instead of 4. Whether the farce was caused by fog, the late arrival of our aircraft, a leaky hose, insufficient spare parts, a boarding pass stuff up, or a jet engine that wouldn’t start, remains to be seen. Perhaps it was a combination of all of these factors. The messages we received were so conflicting that I will honestly never know.
Whatever it was, it was a PR nightmare, and its timely proximity to Geoff Dixon's assertions that a 5% pay rise for engineers was something he was prepared to descend into the trenches for made the experience all the more difficult to swallow.
There was however a positive for Qantas management to consider when they review this incident (assuming they ever actually do so). The flight attendants were marvellous. The poor wretches had to handle the antagonism of frustrated passengers and present a smiling face when confronted by the prolonged and embarrassing incompetence of their employer. When the passengers laughed at Qantas, they laughed with us, and who could blame them? They handled their job with aplomb and calmed the situation down admirably.
If only the spokesandroid had been more like the cabin crew.

[numbskull]

Oh well , the shareholders should be happy that they crammed 3 flights into 1!!. Think of the cost savings.

I guess GD would ask whats the problem!!

[Galley Raider]

GD goes BA

Speaking of GD. He was supposed to fly out this afternoon on the qf5. It was late coming out of the sheds so he changed his flight to the BA instead.
How's that for loyalty?

[blackhander]

What's GD doing leaving the country? Hasn't he got a meeting with Shazza selling 3% and super for some?

[numbskull]

Probably off to SIN to find some LAMES.

Good Luck!!

[Going Boeing]

I'd be surprised that he would go on the QF5 as it doesn't have First (P) Class. The QF31 departs 1 hour later with a 3 class configuration.

There have been quite a few services late coming out of SYD during the last week so it looks like the "overtime bans" are having an effect.

[The cougar]

Wouldn't matter which one he got on they both don't have first class.But the BA has a much better IFE.
Maybe He is going to Singapore to have a look at his burnt out A330!

[sickofqf]

or maybe meet with some despots to find out how to 'off' lots of unsavoury characters without getting into trouble........

he could also be heading to a meeting with his MAS counterpart to apologise for trying to steal all their staff.....

[wanty]

Originally Posted by Teal

From today's crikey.com.au

LOL, Just ask Geoff, he doesn't care,your only a passenger.

He is still getting his bonus.

[Short_Circuit]

From the other thread abot QANTAS

From the other thread abot QANTAS

Any truth to the rumour Geoff Dixon is off to Asia to secure his new job as head of
an Asian MRO to take over Australian Engineering work with all his Inside Knowledge,
to the determent of Australian workers and conditions?
By the timing of his imminent departure from QANTAS and his so called retirement, it does
not sound so far fetched.....

I hope the Mr Kevin Rudd is watching this one VERY carefully.

[Bolty McBolt]

Any truth to the rumour Geoff Dixon is off to Asia to secure his new job as head of
an Asian MRO to take over Australian Engineering work with all his Inside Knowledge

As far fetched as it can get.
GD is always in Asia.

You need to be a "Bumiputra" in Malaysia to be boss of anything.

[Acute Instinct]

Radioland

This time its the ABChttp://www.abc.net.au/rn/breakfast/s...08/2246480.htm Just hit download audio. Great Job Fed Sec

[Konehead]

Chicken Little is at it again

First it was “the Asian financial crisis”, then came “9/11”, then it was “SARS”, and then “bird flu”. Now Qantas’ Chicken Little CEO is screaming the sky will fall in because of high oil prices. Whatever. We’ve heard it all before Geoff!

Granted, there is the usual panicked bleating in the media about high oil prices. But read a little deeper than the headlines and you’ll find these gems:

“BOEING believes oil prices will come back to a longer-term trend of $US70-80 a barrel.
The US aerospace giant does not itself analyse fuel trends but said the long-term view of its advisers was that the oil price would decrease.”
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23741779-23349,00.html.
And…
“Economists, however, believe crude could soon fall back to $US100, taking pressure off petrol and aviation fuel prices.” http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23744412-23349,00.html

My point is, GD would have the best analysts in the business looking at fuel price trends, so he knows that these high oil prices are a speed hump and that they will eventually fall. He is using that knowledge and the current blip in prices to drive down wages.

A few more interesting points:

• Qantas and Jetstar aircraft are flying slower to save fuel. “The unannounced moves, which follow similar actions by US airlines, are expected to save the carriers millions of dollars and reduce upward pressure on airfares… We have been conducting a trial where aircraft flights are taking a bit longer and burning less fuel. Early indications are that we are seeing positive savings in terms of fuel… This practice has led to fuel savings and lower carbon emissions without any significant impact on flight times." http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23744412-23349,00.html. Once those procedures are locked in, does anyone sane think a company would willingly relinquish those savings? And does a passenger really care if it takes 6 minutes longer to get to Perth. Indeed, it could be a selling point if QF badges it as “a green-house gas reduction measure”.
• Qantas is increasing airfares. I quote an article in today’s Australian Business Backpage entitled “Dixon may be lucky buyout failed”: “The oil prices might be higher but so are airfares… so long as Dixon can get people paying higher fares and keep travelling, he is fine.” http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23743151-5013408,00.html. (This is a very interesting article and I urge everyone to read it in its entirety. I have quoted from it further below.)
• We are experiencing massive growth in air travel in the Asia Pacific region. Higher airfares may cut a few percentage points off this growth, but so what. There is that much growth in the pipeline that airlines simply can’t keep up. Not in capacity, nor pilots nor engineers. This growth will more than compensate for any drop-offs in demand from the US slowdown/recession. And keep in mind that the US is still an economic behemoth, so there will always be demand to a greater or lesser extent for air travel from that market.
• The $200 million compensation from Airbus for A380 delays, and Qantas’ own forecast that compensation from Boeing for the B787 delays will be greater than that of the Airbus compensation; http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23741631-23349,00.html.
• The possible sale of 40% of the Frequent Flyers program: another $1 billion. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23743151-5013408,00.html.
• Qantas breaking into the next emerging market: Vietnam/South East Asia with its stake in Pacific Airlines.

We all know Qantas is investing in increased capacity. With increased capacity comes the ability to fly slower and save fuel. New aircraft with lower maintenance requirements will provide savings per aircraft once the older fleet start getting retired. Also, the airlines are working with Air Services Australia, the EU, the FAA etc to streamline flying routes to save fuel. And AA is joining UAL to charge pax for baggage. How long before other airlines including QF follow their lead?

Airfares have been jacked up in Aus, as they have in the US. Chicken Little is also pointing to the US airline industry as a warning to us all. Job losses, mergers, bankruptcies, capacity cuts. But there are big differences between the US and Australia and their respective airlines:

• The US is heading for or in recession.
• The US airline industry is a bloated dead man walking. It needs structural adjustment to survive. So many of the airlines are flogging a dead horse by persisting with flying non-profitable routes with thirsty, expensive older aircraft. Change, downsizing etc is inevitable.

Contrast this with Australia and Qantas.

• We are ideally positioned to cash in on the new driver of the world economy, the Asia-Pacific region. Boeing says that 90% of its aircraft sales are to this region. Clearly, it’s where the growth is! The US is losing its position as the sole engine of the world’s economy.
• QF “going forward” will be flying fuel-efficient aircraft types. QF has made the biggest order of B787s, after all!
• QF has Jetstar to pick up lower profit routes.

If, worst case, Qantas has to cut capacity well, OK, is that such a bad thing? “American Airlines has cut its by 12 per cent and the US industry association forecasts 20 per cent cuts across the industry. Given his domestic dominance, Dixon, in theory, has this angle covered as well, because his fleet is varied in age, which means much of it is completely written down in value. This makes it easy for him to shut down capacity by as much as 14 per cent without costing a cent. Then, of course, he has a low-cost carrier in Jetstar to pick up marginal routes.” http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23743151-5013408,00.html.

Well how many times has GD said he is angling for capacity growth, not reduction? Orders for 65 B787s,12 A380s, umpteen A320s/A321s and more B737-800s to come.
And as you can imagine, like trying to claw back interest rate falls from the banks once they start falling, once airfares go up, they’ll probably stay up. The world airline industry will want to recoup some of those profits lost to high oil prices, so Qantas will benefit from that aspect of “competition”.

My point: all these factors will help pad Qantas’ bottom line. Both lots of compensation from Airbus and Boeing alone could pay for a 5% pay rise for ALL Qantas staff over the next few years and still leave the company with tens of millions in change. In a few years time, the US will be out of recession and helping drive the world economy; India, China, indeed the whole region will still be booming; our new fleet will be operating very efficiently both in terms of reduced maintenance costs per airframe and fuel, and things will be on the up and up for Qantas.

Has anyone heard QF announce forecast profit falls lately? Exactly. The silence is deafening.

And MY bottom line? I think QF can afford 5% for everyone, not just us.

[Sunfish]

Nice post Konehead.

I was always taught by accountants that when your business is making money hand over fist, you shut up about it and whine about taxes and suchlike.

The farmers have got this down to an art form over the years, and Mr. Dixon appears to have learned well from them.


...If it rains: "we can't get into the paddocks" and "All the long grass means an increased bushfire risk."

...If it doesn't rain: obvious.

...If meat or wool prices go through the roof: "we can't afford to restock."

...If grain prices go through the roof: "Too many people will plant next year and we will have a glut of grain and rotten prices."

That's right Mr. Dixon, whine with the rest of them.

[Sweet Reason]

We hear that the ACTU are going to "fix" it for you - good luck!

[amos2]

You lot have gone to water, just like the balpa pilots!

You're wimps, like they are!

[jakethemuss]

Friday night.

Here come the drunks again with their bravado!

Started early today amos.