Qantas S.I.T. Forced Transfers Ballot

[heavyjetmech]

JA1 Flames out!

JA1, Maaate....

I loved your eloquent prose! Such a well thought out post. not.

BTW....is there too much cold weather additive in your mix?

Not even warm

[600ft-lb]

This is stupid bickering.

ANY engineer worth their weight in salt should be able to adapt to the situation or section they find themselves in.

Do you really need to fix that defect in the line situation ? Is it airworthy ? Can it be deferred until the next A check ? That is the question line guys ask themselves with all the support of the DDG, MM and maintenance watch. At the end of the day it is just a mindset.

Now if the line guys can't get out of that mindset if they get posted to base maintenance then yes they are useless from a company perspective and a drain on their crew mates who have to pick up their slack.

Its the same thing when an ex heavy guy goes to base maintenance and start getting all pedantic about scratches in the paint on an oil filler access panel. Unless the guys are totally incompetent and have no sense of commercial reality, maybe being a utility worker is a more suitable position.

It really does **** me when the more holier then thou gang get up on their high horses and proclaim that mr engineer from <insert section here> can't do this job because they're not here in the first place.

We all came from somewhere. Once people get off their high horses and show a bit of respect around the place who knows they might actually learn something.

[heavyjetmech]

Bullseye

600ftlb you hit the bullseye, In terms of mindset.

Unfortunately "Mindset" is the hardest thing to change in a person.

You have to ask whether it's worth all the heartache in changing someone outlook to do something they don't want to do.

The only case where it would work with any great ease would be a general call for volunteers.

Other than that, it's pi$$ing money, experience and morale/goodwill against the wall.

[600ft-lb]

I agree there should be a call for volunteers.

Failing that, based upon a business decision, because in all reality, what can you expect a manager to base his decisions upon, why would you keep a 767 only licenced guy when you are turning around 747s, 737s, a330s and 767s when he could more suitably be used in base maintenance where depending on the crew 50% of the work is 767 related.

Theres no point sending the 330, 737 guy to base maintenance now is there.

The other thing that really does **** me in Qantas is that the squeaky wheels ALWAYS get the grease.. The guys who sit back and let the decision makers do their job always end up getting screwed.

The same thing will happen in this case, its just inherent with Qantas in general across the sections. The whingers have always gotten their way in regards to training, job applications etc.

At the end of the day, the guys who are redundant and who are made an offer of redeployment should just accept it and get involved in your new section. There is no point in looking back in what you think was YOUR deserved and owed personal job and making a 1/2 arsed attempt at the new position. Who knows you might enjoy it and it might even open up new career opportunities for you. Everything in life is what you make of it. Who cares if you aren't happy with the deal, your manager doesn't care, no one else in qf engineering cares, the union can't do anything, so just get on with it, adjust your mindset to suit and don't look back.

[Jet-A-One]

Well said 600ft-lb!

All the Servicing/Terminal rivalries and slaging aside. Those of us that get xfered need to cop it on the chin and get on with the job.

We're meant to be running an airline not an air hose...

[heavyjetmech]

Copping it on the chin

One thing I'm sure of is that we'll be copping it on the chin.

I try not to play up the Base/Line bull$hit, but as said previously, mindset and ability should be taken into account.

[ALAEA Fed Sec]

It's disappointing to read about the inter-section/trade rivalry. There is really no need for it. We're all LAMEs doing the best we can to feed our families.

The cat will be thrown in with the pidgeons shortly all, notice about to come out explaining the ALAEAs upcoming steps. If they want to lay leather on your chin, they will have to get past mine first.

[hadagutfull]

I wOnder how many emails are being deleted as we speak..... Nice gesture though by the ALAEA.
I'm sure some good intel will come to the union as the SIT guys have had the chance to hear the truth from various customer reps.
Can anyone be taken to task over the blatant sabotage of the customer handling contracts?? I will watch with interest.
If it takes forever for a course to happen then we could apply the company protocol and the 12 to go should be still in place by this time next year...

[GodDamSlacker]

There is only One!

There is only the one main person to be held to blame, Mr Greene please stand up! But in all honesty he is/was just a puppet for the management - flick all the contracts or price them to the ridiculous so they wouldnt even consider QF as an option.....
So it really is all of the management who should be looked at, SIT managers Mr Deck, who spinelessness should really earn him an Excellence Award, the manager for doing absolutely nothing....Why bother having him at the SIT....come to think of it, the Operations Manager isnt much better....my fellow DMM's blow sunshine up, where the sunshine doesnt shine and he hasnt done anything....
It will be interesting over the next few weeks....

[hewlett]

To be fair,it is unlikely any of the managers, that those on the floor have any contact with would have orchestrated the direction QE has headed in, after all they will be affected as much as any one else once the final nails are driven.It is dissappointing though to see them pursuing blindly the direction the major players are taking the airline,with no regard for history,tradition or quality.It would be nice if someone up the tree had the gutz to explain where they eventually want to end up so that all may get on with their lives and careers.Pack of TIRDS.

[Ngineer]

.It would be nice if someone up the tree had the gutz to explain where they eventually want to end up so that all may get on with their lives and careers.Pack of TIRDS.

I am sure this has been well orchestrated, and a long time coming. Very strange though that not one of the managers has had any b@lls to stand infront of the fellas and tell them.

[Oh Me Oh My]

The only ones with balls in QF management are the women...............
gutless g, kare-less k, dumb d, teflon t, rome burns whilst Nero fiddles........

[QF94]

To be fair,it is unlikely any of the managers, that those on the floor have any contact with would have orchestrated the direction QE has headed in, after all they will be affected as much as any one else once the final nails are driven.It is dissappointing though to see them pursuing blindly the direction the major players are taking the airline,with no regard for history,tradition or quality.It would be nice if someone up the tree had the gutz to explain where they eventually want to end up so that all may get on with their lives and careers.Pack of TIRDS.

Once one decides to take up the position of DMM and up, they no longer have a say in which direction the company goes in, let alone the direction within the company they go (if they want to remain in that position). It is basically accepted, that if you want a position of "authority", and I use that term very loosley, you will do as you are commanded, rightly or wrongly, and you will sing the company tune until you are blue in the face, and that you begin to believe what you are telling others to believe.

Otherwise, you can say goodbye to your temporary overseas relief posting, temporary relief manager position, or "progression" over to some other managerial position in the future at some point. Just look at the DMM's that have come over from SDT to SIT. Look at some of the acting DMM's (they should be up for nomination at the upcoming Emmy awards, as that is all they can do, act!).

This whole situation of "overstaffing" at S.I.T. has been "engineered" over a number of years, and it has been helped along by some of the LAME's who helped to devise and implement the 4 pillar system, literally splitting S.I.T. in half back in 2006, where 2 pillars do not ever see the other 2 pillars, leaving the DMM's to run their own little business empire. Where are those LAME's that pushed for the 4 pillar system? A380 and DMM at base. Not mentioning any names.

Then one by one, the customer contracts have been taken away so that we are at the position we are now (bent over a barrel with the vaseline jar in our hands, but not being used by management).

[The Mr Fixit]

The vas jar is just to make it look like it'll be smooth sailing from what I'm hearing it's the tip of the iceberg and not just for SIT

[UPPERLOBE]

QF94, not some of the LAME's just the two you mentioned. They had it all cut and dried before the committee stages even started. Any objections were ploughed over and several meetings ended in argument. Believe me alternate plans were put up by some committee members and never made it the vote, the guy's in the smoko room never saw them.

So in reality it was all "bollocks" wasn't it.

[The Trumpet]

Just wonder if anyone has heard how the ALAEA's "goodwill" visit to the Jetbase went yesterday?? Would have loved to been there to see it happen - would have even come in on my day off!!
(Hopefully this is just the begining of a campaign to make the managment "accountable"........funny, haven't heard that term used as much lately!!!)

[QF94]

(Hopefully this is just the begining of a campaign to make the managment "accountable"........funny, haven't heard that term used as much lately!!!)

Management will never put themselves in a position that they will ever admit accountability or liability. They have too many spin doctors to turn things around and make themselves look like the poor innocent party who tried everything in their power to be reasonable with its workforce and the various unions.

The term accountability only comes out of the closet when an employee makes a GENUINE mistake in their duties, and the manager is there in the office with the QPPM Vol 2 in hand and asking questions as to whether every letter in the document has been followed in the order set out. If not, then that employee is accountable for their actions and counselled accordingly.

If a manager makes a poor decision against advice given to them (because they knew better) and it all goes pear-shaped, it again falls on the subordinates for not following procedures, or for not coming up with one that would pull the manager's backside out of the fire.

[BrissySparkyCoit]

My guess is Mr Purvinas and Mr Norris were told "you want access? See you in court". I don't think Qantas would let them in so easily, especially when they have something to hide.

[ALAEA Fed Sec]

Just quickly guys. We did get limited access and were shuffled off to an office near the credo. We were given a powerpoint presentation regarding the NZ pricing. We have a tonne of follow up questions because some things in it just didn't add up and we need similar info on TG, BA and others.

Qantas have committed to work with us so we can do our own calculations and presentation showing that these contracts were lucrative and should return.

We have also agreed with them that info they pass on will remain confidental. So long as the flow of info doesn't stop we will not need to enforce our ROE.

[QF94]

We have a tonne of follow up questions because some things in it just didn't add up and we need similar info on TG, BA and others.

Things don't ad up due to the fact that QANTAS systematically "retrenched" each of the customer airlines telling them their business was unwanted and unwelcome, and that they needed all hands on deck to maintain QF aircraft as first priority.

The classic example was SQ when 20 positions from S.I.T. alone were made redundant due to the "loss" of that lucrative contract.

Now that we have let go of all the other contracts, we're now "overstaffed" and have to transfer people out of S.I.T. to rectify management's ongoing stuff-ups and incompetence.

It just goes to show, artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity!