QANTAS Base maintenance sydney restructure ?

[company_spy]

Maybe the Malasians have let the cat out of the bag Mr. Wobbles... I wonder if MAS EM has ops managers??

[Ngineer]

Where else did you think the A380 would have major maint done? Down under? Youve got to be kidding.

The spirit of Australia.

[chockchucker]

Doubt very much that you'll see any 737 work return to Malaysia. particularly after the VH-TJU debacle.

If the performance was repeated on a 744, A330 or A380 I'm fairly sure it would be well highlighted to the media and Qantas well know it.

[QF22]

KLIA Hangar 5v and 6

I had the misfortune to work there last year.
The locals call Hangars 5 and 6 at KLIA "The Qantas hangars"
If QF send any type of aircraft there, they have rocks in their heads.
The worst place I have ever worked.
Hangars are ok, everything else is crap !

[ampclamp]

to fed sec.

1. How do you feel about composite crews in Base Maint (please forget about the side issues such as rosters and SLII numbers, mainly interested in the idea of working cross trade) No we do what we were trained to do within current awards, no favours no trial without payback and serious ananlysis of the ramifications for safety and our members well being
2. Are there too many layers of management for BM engineers and are the ops managers necessary? OK my area is not base but...as an indicator...Some of the Ops managers seem to be OK.Are they req'd? In reality they should be be given some have good hands experience.But thee are clearly too many layers and mr Joyce knows it.Apprentice,AME,LAME,Snr LAME (plus its various levels) DMM or the equivalent, Ops manager,then another level I'm not sure what he's called but ours has a nice "Timber" to it) then donut king or the equivalent and they are just the levels I personally speak to let alone the more lofty levels.
3. Should the 330 and Boeing crews be combined (forget about crew size atm)? Yes of course they should.More people on the panic jobs, less empires(not that that is an issue! ) Skill sharing and from a company perspective if you allow specialisation you leave yourself open to more radicalisation and targeted industrial tactics in the future so rather than separating the trouble you breed it.When the novelty of the shiny new big jet wears off they'll know.

[Short_Circuit]

Looking at Saturday Night workload the Composite Bus Boys have 8 A/C
to service tonight, one an A chk, with 8 people, that does not compute!
1 A/C per person on the crew!

I hope the 330 LAMEs carry out proper supervision of the AMEs.

[NWT]

Just wait till you have your licence changed to the wonderfull JAR66 type....B1 covering most of B2's routine work (especially line maint). Cross trade normal, multiple aircraft types worked is the norm. I work on 4 different types at any one time. Never done any different...very inefficient to have crews only working one aircraft type..

[ALAEA Fed Sec]

G'day all,

Thanks for those who have taken the time to help me with these questions. The Ops Managers don't seem to have too much support. I think Qantas can do without them. The other questions however will see many opinions put forward and an outcome that some will not support if changes are or aren't made.

The composite crew issue appears to be the most contentious one. I understand that the Jack of all trades may not work in Base. I think it does on the tarmac and as an Avionics LAME who worked in a composite situation for 12 years, I have no problem doing a wheel change and to some extent enjoyed the change. The other complications with Mech crews assigned to one aircraft and the Av crews moving about may also make it hard.

330 and Boeing combined crews seems to be the go. Unless I am directed otherwise, this will be the ALAEA position. We do not however support the 10 legacy 20 combined crew concept. It is either all or nothing.

Some have indicated that we should be demanding payments or some other recompense for changes. Without being too specific, there are some decisions that management could make and we would not be able to do anything about them. We have seen that many times in the past and sure we will in the future. The ALAEA just tries to get in early to make sure that the stupid decisions of the past such as the closure of SHM and the appointment of Ops Managers doesn't occur again.

When talk of restructure is about there is one thing we can always object to. That is rosters. If it is extended hours, 66% of the LAMEs must accept it and without this Agreement, the whole thing falls apart.

cheers
Steve

[Short_Circuit]

Please don't get my wrong. Most avionics would not have a problem doing mechanical tasks and vice versa and would enjoy the break in routine, however, it would not be best use of trade specific manpower nor would it speed up the rectification rate.

I am worried that some manager (trying to make a name for himself) will make a rash decision and destroy what worked for 80 years in one moment of madness that would be impossible to reverse, destroy the jobs and livelihood of our people and our department.

PS
If they want ATLAS back, I believe we should have a payment as there is a lot of extra work & study involved to keep current to their procedures. QF are profiting from it, so should we all.

[mahatmacoat]

Qantas to axe 100 top execs: report

Qantas Airways Ltd is reportedly preparing to slash around 100 senior executive staff, as new chief Alan Joyce finalises a review of the carrier's management structure.

Oh to be an Ops Manager. Murray promised me a job for life.

[Clipped]

there are some decisions that management could make and we would not be able to do anything about them. We have seen that many times in the past and sure we will in the future. The ALAEA just tries to get in early to make sure that the stupid decisions of the past such as

Throwing away the ANZ contract, and all those other customers that had provided steady revenue streams for all these years. Doubling and tripling the handling contract rates and then blaming LAMEs as too expensive, what business acumen.

Buggery in every sense.

[Short_Circuit]

100 execs sacked,,,, wont even notice they are gone, not deep enough.

[tech-line]

where I work we don't have the segragation that appears to be present at QF, on any given night I/we are expected to work on 4 different types be it boeing or airbus.
That is the right way being trained on all types so there is always someone who can take up the slack orshare a problem with.
Never thought you could have a segragated team on a "special" fleet.
Oh well what would I know.

[Ngineer]

Sounds like a great place to work Tech-Line. Reminds me of our workplace many years ago. It would be nice to see them back again.

Either way, its a good thing the ALAEA has jumped on this topic. The last thing we need is a handfull of SNR LAME's whipping the crap out of the boys whilst chasing their own pocket-book ambitions, or trying to prove something. This should be a group effort with all onboard.

[Short_Circuit]

With the imminent departure of D Cox from engineering and the bringing of QE back from segregation, it is a no brainer that eliminating the current split between Boeing and Airbus (A330) crews was needed to answer the manpower problem plaguing SYD Base for some years.
It is a disgrace that we have wasted so many years of on the job experience under the rule of the fool(s) at the top. There are hundreds of highly experienced engineers ready to jump in and fix the problem, as has been relayed up the ladder, but ignored to the detriment of our group. It is also a no brainer that training the senior (older) LAMEs that are capped out and here for the long run will not cost the company any increase of wages for the new licences because of the quota capping pay system (what genius worked that out, all be it too late).
Is there some sense of intelligent space being displayed here?
Is someone rebuilding the bridge of trust?
Only time will tell and here’s hoping.

[Redstone]

Well it seems there is going to be a few more managers leaving soon, particularly from SYD BASE MAINT, it will be interesting to see who gets to sit in the big chair and what implications that has for the 3 ops managers

[Ngineer]

Well it seems there is going to be a few more managers leaving soon

I sincerely hope you are right mate. Management are again sprouting off that there will be no-more new LAME's made up, further cut backs in training, etc. Still not listening to most of the workforce. Things have not changed since MH's demise. We are still going along the same path. Things will come to an enormous grinding halt before long. Its a shame to see our business contracting whilst others in the same field are moving forward.

GH has had enough time to show that he is not capable of running the business. He doesnt seem to have any control over business matters, and does not claim responsibility for some decisions of late. Move along please.

[blackhand]

LAME supervision

Respect to you blokes working on the big machines.
Spent my life working in GA and helicopter maintenance.
I was once pinged by CASA for not being present in the hangar while one of my AMEs changed a wheel on Cessna 206 for " not being present to supervise unlicenced maintenance engineer" At the time I was working on an aircraft in the next hangar.

So how does it work for High Capacity RPT LAMEs?

From reading this thread there seems to be a different meaning for "Direct Supervision" for group 20 Aircraft.

Blackhand

[Short_Circuit]

I assure you that when AME's are working our Grp 20, there will be a LAME at the A/C, if none avail the A/C work will have to wait, (speaking for Boeing crews only of cause).

[ALAEA Fed Sec]

I was once pinged by CASA for not being present in the hangar while one of my AMEs changed a wheel on Cessna 206 for " not being present to supervise unlicenced maintenance engineer" At the time I was working on an aircraft in the next hangar.

I would love to know more about this one mate. Please send me a pm if you can. reason?

Qantas docked the wages of 4 LAMEs because they refused to work unsupervised on a 747-300 aircraft at Tullamarine. There was no 747-300 licence holder on the airport whatsoever and we have reported the event to CASA. They won't give us a straight answer over this incident yet from what you are saying there appears to be very strict guidelines outside Qf.