Unions not the only ones unhappy with Qantas management

[Cactusjack]

boofu#kinghoo. Seriously. This bloke has been screwing the lives of thousands of workers, thousands of share holders and he has the nerve to finger unions?? Even half the Australian public think he is little toad and he should pi#s of back to Ireland. You also have the opportunists who are totally unrelated to this mess and may be psychologicaly unstable and are joining the fracus by committing acts of mischief just for fun ?

I know I will get bagged for saying this but 'good, who cares'. Let them feel what it is like to have security and safety uncertainty thrust upon you. Let them have the sleepless nights, fear of the unknown and loss of life's enjoyment while clouds hang over your head.
I am not provoking or encouraging such acts, but I have no empathy for the execs and nor could I give a flying f#ck. This is what can happen when you play in the big sandpit and out of sheer greed screw tens of thousands of people. Doesn't this fool realize that you can only push people so far before society revolts, and he is copping a taste of that.
It is amazing that when their comfort zone is threatened, their moral rights are interfered with and their rights to go about daily business taking care of family, friends and future are threatened they cry foul.

No doubt his 'security protection unit' are linked to friends or a family business and getting paid massive dollars? Maybe there is a KPI bonus for the amount of guards each exec hires?

[Pinky the pilot]

There's not a lot of credibility to any of this without something from them.

My thinking also Worrels. (How are ya, BTW?) Also, having read the newspaper article which quoted the supposed threatening letter, under the heading 'Death Threat...' I fail to see where any such threat was made, inferred or otherwise.

Something just doesn't smell right about this incident.

[What The]

Is the International part of the business paying for the security guards?

[Fris B. Fairing]

Was it really a death threat or did he just fall off his skateboard?

[packrat]

More Like...

He fell off his stilettos

[buttmonkey1]

this snippet from aap stock market news...

QAN - QANTAS AIRWAYS LTD - steady at $1.375
The aircraft engineers' union has questioned the authenticity of death threats
sent to senior management at national carrier Qantas, suggesting they may
have been concocted to garner public sympathy.

[Angle of Attack]

BOOM!

Their little stunt already has them on the back foot only a day after they came up with this little stunt! Any Joe Bloe knows if there were credible death threats they would not have come out in public like this before the police investigation was finished! GOLD!

[TIMA9X]

Questions

if there were credible death threats they would not have come out in public like this before the police investigation was finished! GOLD!

It appears so, reading between the lines,

‘‘I absolutely believe that they are calling on their members ... and anybody out there that this is the wrong behaviour and cannot be tolerated,’’ Mr Joyce told Fairfax Radio.
Ms Wirth, who has also received the threatening letters, told the Seven Network unions were resorting to US-style intimidation.
"They're personally attacking management, it's one of those ways you can try and influence the outcomes of the industrial dispute - it's very unhelpful

Read more: Death threats: Qantas pay spat heightens | Transport Workers Union

The use of plural "They are" and "They're personally attacking" Does smell a bit rich and deliberately skewed to implicate or target the unions. Trust they have evidence for this...also the story was leaked to the Daily Telegraph first who love this kind of stuff....

Guards for Qantas boss Alan Joyce after death threats | thetelegraph.com.au

I am now curious to find out on what basis AJ & OW could come up with this assumption.. Already the story has dropped out of the main headlines at the smh.

[bandit2]

It's interesting to note, that there has been no bulletin or such put on the QF Intranet home page regarding these threats! Now all of of a sudden AJ's had a brain wave & asked the QF security to look into the threats? Wouldn't they be your first phone call after receiving the letters! During most investigations the authorities prefer to keep the news out of the press eg: Front pages of news papers, no Kochie etc.

If people are faced with redundancy, emotions do run high. Especially if you have a family, mortgage, bills etc. Not all of us are on $5 million per year & when someone on $5 million a year tells you a 3% payrise is too much. I know I get pissed off.

[neville_nobody]

Not all of us are on $5 million per year & when someone on $5 million a year tells you a 3% payrise is too much. I know I get pissed off.

Especially when his was 70% with the shareprice at record lows.

If these threats were made up by Joyce then it would be a pretty low act on his behalf and a sign of desperation.

[VR-HFX]

AF 447 springs to mind after reading this thread. This time it's not one airframe but the whole train set.

[SimonBl]

When I read this today, I wondered both "Where's the threat in that?" and "Wonder if it's made up to make the unions look bad?". Looks like I'm not alone on both fronts

I, too, agree that it's probably backfired if it was made up.

[QFBUSBOY]

I imagine most employees would have completed the Safety & Security exercise as part of their ongoing training.I seem to remember a part in there about how the company receives threats almost on a daily basis, which are evaluated by Corporate Security.Having just heard on the news that these threats were allegedly made in May, it seems strange that now 5 months later, AJ has gone public, and has asked the police to investigate.

I only half believed that threats were made when I first heard about them, and now I am absolutely sure in my mind that the alleged threats are no more than the rant of the normal,everyday crack smokers who make threats against Qantas daily.

To blame those members of his staff, some of whom may be union members, is absolutely despicable.

[600ft-lb]

When I read this today, I wondered both "Where's the threat in that?"

That's just the point and they know it. People don't read past the headline. Their minds are made up within the first 20 words.

Steve Creedy even published the article today on The Australian website saying

Qantas claims unions involved in a pay dispute are behind death threats sent to executives

yet the article explicitly states the complete opposite

Although Mr Joyce, who has received one of the threatening letters, does not believe union officials are responsible

Mr Joyce does not believe union officials are responsible.

And where is the content of the supposed "Death Threat" ?

There is none, yet you read the comments sections and everyone is talking about thug unions being evil etc. People's minds are made up in the first 10 seconds when it comes to print media.

Qantas knows this, their PR firm of choice, owned by GD's mate, know this, Qantas pays good money to these guys to put their point of view across.

I don't know where supposed journalists get off, publishing headlines that are misleading at best to the content of the article.

Especially when News Ltd. code of ethics seems to not apply at times when Qantas is involved.

For Info
Professional Conduct Policy | The Australian

1. Accuracy
1.1 Facts must be reported impartially, accurately and with integrity.

1.2 Clear distinction must be made between fact, conjecture and comment.
1.3 Try always to tell all sides of the story in any kind of dispute.
1.4 Do not knowingly withhold or suppress essential facts.


15. Personal gain
15.1 Employees must not request or accept any money, travel, goods, discounts, entertainment or inducements of any kind outside the normal scope of business hospitality.

I'd love to see the Chairman Club membership list.

[Worrals in the wilds]

There is none, yet you read the comments sections and everyone is talking about thug unions being evil etc. People's minds are made up in the first 10 seconds when it comes to print media.

Exactly. However, now the talkback radio audience are getting elderly and infirm, newspaper website comment sections have become the new crackpot rant outlet of choice. Even though they are published (online) by newspapers there seems to be little if any editorial control, so they're free game for anyone with a soapbox and an internet connection. After reading a lot of them from several papers about various issues I don't believe that the comments sections on these sites are ever an accurate representation of nationwide opinion.

Having watched 10, 7 and ABC coverage of this issue, I think they were all fairly cautious in their reporting compared to the initial Telegraph report. Lots about "Qantas claim..." and not too much in the way of absolutes. I could be wrong, but my impression was they were a bit sceptical.

...the company receives threats almost on a daily basis, which are evaluated by Corporate Security.

Most companies do. Banks and unpopular public service departments like Centrelink and the ATO receive absolutely dreadful threats on a daily basis. That's not to condone the practice, but it's hardly unusual.

(G'day Pinky, btw. Hope you're well too)!

[TIMA9X]

Having watched 10, 7 and ABC coverage of this issue, I think they were all fairly cautious in their reporting compared to the initial Telegraph report. Lots about "Qantas claim..." and not too much in the way of absolutes. I could be wrong, but my impression was they were a bit sceptical.

It appears to me as well the television networks played it down the middle as the day went on..

For those who missed it, the ABC news tonight..



I smell a rat.

[QF94]

Is the International part of the business paying for the security guards?

The International part of the business is paying for the rest of the business. That's why it's "bleeding red ink" as was reported in an article today.

For a company that "only" made $500million and has to shed international routes to remain viable while other airlines, including Virgin Australia are expanding at the same rate QF International is contracting makes me wonder and should be making others wonder also.

Nick Xenaphon was chasing up the cost shifting of Jetstar costs onto QF. Hopefully this has the momentum to keep going and expose what is really going on. Jetstar as a standalone entity would fail before long without bleeding QF International.

As for the alleged death threats in today's papers, we can call AJ, OW and the remainder of the executive board all sorts of names, but why? If the employees can band together as a united group and force their hand, we stand a much better chance. Until then, the agenda is set and we are well along the path they have made for themsleves and us.

Let's not get caught up in the media hype. If the management don't get the reaction they're after, they look the fools. Not us.

Disregard what is reported in The Telegraph. Their owner is being investigated for their own wrongdoings, and it is only a glorified tabloid at best.

[TIMA9X]

If the management don't get the reaction they're after, they look the fools. Not us.

yep starting to already..

No respite in Qantas war of words

A RESOLUTION to a bitter industrial relations battle between Qantas and key unions is further away after the two sides traded barbs over the decision to publicly reveal allegations of threats against executives.
Unions have condemned alleged threats made to Qantas managers, including the chief executive, Alan Joyce, and other staff but two officials have questioned whether the airing of the allegations was part of a public relations campaign by the airline aimed at winning public support.
''This is either a serious allegation or a serious fraud by the company,'' the Transport Workers Union's national secretary, Tony Sheldon, said yesterday.

Mr Joyce, who had received an explicit death threat, refuted the suggestions it was part of a ''PR stunt'', saying he had decided to inform its 35,000-strong workforce because of the threat to their safety.
Qantas passengers face further disruptions to flights tomorrow when baggage handlers and other ground crew will strike for two hours. The airline's licensed aircraft engineers will also stop work for four hours on Monday in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The unions representing pilots, engineers and ground staff have been locked in a bitter battle with management for months over inserting job-security clauses into new wage contracts.
The police said the author of a threatening letter sent to a senior Qantas executive in May had been identified.

What, back in May? old news revamped

[Flying Spag Monster]

he had decided to inform its 35,000-strong workforce because of the threat to their safety

Gee he does care about you guys, took him 5 months to tell you of the danger....

[Dockie]

And just remember there are no double standards at Qantas!!!!!!