Qantas Sacking Tarmac Engineers
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While it may seem like a significant event now, you will quickly realise it was only a job. Take the redundancy package and move on quickly with life.
For many a redundancy package is the kick up the butt that they really needed. Most move on to better things.
An employee who has not been made redundant at least once in their career is becoming a rare beast.
For many a redundancy package is the kick up the butt that they really needed. Most move on to better things.
An employee who has not been made redundant at least once in their career is becoming a rare beast.
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48 hour overtime ban? Are you kidding? What do you think that would achieve, it would be over in 2 days and then they would work out how they could sack the next 200 blokes. If you are going to do something at least do it properly. So what if a few guys here and there don't get it, the vast majority of us do.
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Sick Leave and Redundancies
I have seen a few posts urging guys to use sick leave if they are tapped. In my understanding, this is a complete waste of time as you are given your 12 week notice period immediately (paid). The only way you will ever get any value from your sick leave is to use it before you are tapped. If you feel you are in their sights, I think sick leave due to the stresses caused would be a fantastic option. Let's face it, it's a bit tough to come in to a meeting with management when you are on your sick bed. Most guys have many months of sick leave stored up. Using this should drop the numbers on the shop floor giving management their perfect engineer to aircraft ratio.
Don't all stand by and let them screw you over.
Don't all stand by and let them screw you over.
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To those at SDT that have been working overtime.. Shame on you. You have no respect and more importantly the guys have none for you! I tried to name and shame yesterday but it got deleted , we all know who you are though.
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Message from a mate from SIT-
How would you be you are at home cause they just retrenched you and you get an sms to call in ASAP for overtime tomorrow if available. We still have to transfer 25+ LAMEs out as well ?. Just got that sms.
How would you be you are at home cause they just retrenched you and you get an sms to call in ASAP for overtime tomorrow if available. We still have to transfer 25+ LAMEs out as well ?. Just got that sms.
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and the notice of today..
Notice 053/2014 - All Qantas Members - Redundancy Update 11th July 2014
The ALAEA office will be working over this weekend finalizing appeals from members who wish to appeal the compulsory retrenchments approved by Chris Nassenstein and implemented by Tony Lowery. Although it is most likely that the appeals will be rejected by Qantas, just because they think they can, it is essential that the process be undertaken as the matter is now likely to be put before the Federal Court. Please get your details to the office as soon as possible after being tapped as we have limited time to complete the paperwork.
One thing I ask all members to be aware of that emerged through consultation. The 175 LAME redundancies they are trying to implement now was part of the 5000 announced by Alan Joyce in February of this year. From the first meeting we have pressed the airline to elaborate on any further cuts out of the 5000 that may affect our members. They have continually avoided answering this question, only saying that there are 220 projects which are being worked through and that they will advise us when any further decisions have been made as per the terms of the Workplace Determination. In layman’s terms this means that they know very well that they want to sack a bucket load more of our members but won’t be telling us about it until the dust settles after this round.
Manpower Shortages
From Tuesday when the first of the LAMEs were marched off the bases and into the career advisory tent where they were shown how to write resumes, Qantas were seeking others to work overtime in the same departments where the departed vacated. The airline now don’t have enough LAMEs or Engineers to complete the known work it faces and we have already been advised of examples of the company pressuring LAMEs to cut corners to make this flawed system work. During consultation it was clearly demonstrated by us that the shortfall of staff compared to known work included:
Manpower Tracking
Much of Qantas’ justification for downsizing is based on loose records contained within Mxi and other documents. Qantas are well aware that many of the things we do are not really recorded anywhere. Tasks such as running people around airports, packing up wheels, listening to propaganda from Ops managers, waiting for delayed aircraft or filling out form 500’s for engines that aren’t bolted on correctly.
We cannot express enough that every single thing you do must be recorded accurately, and then the hours you take to record it also needs to be recorded. This is not a short term demand for you to whack a few things in the books as you grieve for a few work mates who are no longer beside you. This is something that you are always required to do by CASA and Qantas procedures.
Working Overtime
We have received many complaints from members about people who have worked overtime in the previous 48 hours.
Reporting Everything
Because Qantas will now be expecting you to do more with less, you will find yourself in situations where the ops managers, who have been employed to pressure you into cutting corners before they replace the DMMs, will be doing all they can to make sure the flawed system works. It is essential now more than ever that any defect, near miss and incident be properly recorded on the mandated documentation such as log books, form 500s and form 2000s. You will be pressured to not record things because these records will demonstrate that what has been implemented degrades air safety. You should continue to report on official paperwork anything out of the ordinary. Some examples being:
Steve Purvinas
Federal Secretary
Notice 053/2014 - All Qantas Members - Redundancy Update 11th July 2014
The ALAEA office will be working over this weekend finalizing appeals from members who wish to appeal the compulsory retrenchments approved by Chris Nassenstein and implemented by Tony Lowery. Although it is most likely that the appeals will be rejected by Qantas, just because they think they can, it is essential that the process be undertaken as the matter is now likely to be put before the Federal Court. Please get your details to the office as soon as possible after being tapped as we have limited time to complete the paperwork.
One thing I ask all members to be aware of that emerged through consultation. The 175 LAME redundancies they are trying to implement now was part of the 5000 announced by Alan Joyce in February of this year. From the first meeting we have pressed the airline to elaborate on any further cuts out of the 5000 that may affect our members. They have continually avoided answering this question, only saying that there are 220 projects which are being worked through and that they will advise us when any further decisions have been made as per the terms of the Workplace Determination. In layman’s terms this means that they know very well that they want to sack a bucket load more of our members but won’t be telling us about it until the dust settles after this round.
Manpower Shortages
From Tuesday when the first of the LAMEs were marched off the bases and into the career advisory tent where they were shown how to write resumes, Qantas were seeking others to work overtime in the same departments where the departed vacated. The airline now don’t have enough LAMEs or Engineers to complete the known work it faces and we have already been advised of examples of the company pressuring LAMEs to cut corners to make this flawed system work. During consultation it was clearly demonstrated by us that the shortfall of staff compared to known work included:
- No factoring for anyone to take meal breaks within the twelve hour terminal rosters
- Allocation of 3.5 hours to 738 check 2’s when Mxi is averaging 8 hours per aircraft
- An assumption that all terminal sick leave will be covered on overtime
- 8 yearly hours of computer based training when the average LAME will require 100 hours to complete it
- Factoring of LAMEs covering 20 secondments at any one time when there are 73
- No provision for you to take your regular accruing Long Service Leave
- Terminal rovers cut by more than a half
- No LAMEs being allocated to MOD aircraft until the exact time of push, despite contrary maintenance memos
The system has been designed with labour shortfalls and they will be expecting you to cut corners to make it work. This is essential for managers like Filipetto and Lowery so they can move on to stage two and find more LAMEs to sack. To protect your job we request that you not take any action to assist the company over and above your normal duties. If 50 Qantas planes are parked up against the fence in 4 months time, it is not your fault but theirs and we would rather them sacked than you.
Manpower Tracking
Much of Qantas’ justification for downsizing is based on loose records contained within Mxi and other documents. Qantas are well aware that many of the things we do are not really recorded anywhere. Tasks such as running people around airports, packing up wheels, listening to propaganda from Ops managers, waiting for delayed aircraft or filling out form 500’s for engines that aren’t bolted on correctly.
We cannot express enough that every single thing you do must be recorded accurately, and then the hours you take to record it also needs to be recorded. This is not a short term demand for you to whack a few things in the books as you grieve for a few work mates who are no longer beside you. This is something that you are always required to do by CASA and Qantas procedures.
Working Overtime
We have received many complaints from members about people who have worked overtime in the previous 48 hours.
Reporting Everything
Because Qantas will now be expecting you to do more with less, you will find yourself in situations where the ops managers, who have been employed to pressure you into cutting corners before they replace the DMMs, will be doing all they can to make sure the flawed system works. It is essential now more than ever that any defect, near miss and incident be properly recorded on the mandated documentation such as log books, form 500s and form 2000s. You will be pressured to not record things because these records will demonstrate that what has been implemented degrades air safety. You should continue to report on official paperwork anything out of the ordinary. Some examples being:
- An aircraft re-fueller who has commenced refueling without permission and in breach of Qantas policy should be halted immediately until you can establish that the area is safe, and then a form 500 completed.
- Any manual procedure that is flawed should be highlighted and then cleared to proceed with formal documentation such as an EA (not verbal advice) from Maintenance Watch/Technical services.
- If you require a wing walker, wait for one. If an ops manager comes out and tells you to push the plane, return to the office and fill out a form 2000 for a near miss then return to the aircraft and wait for your wing walker.
- A missing screw on a ballast you are changing, a form 500 is needed to highlight that a screw may be loose in the roof area.
- If tooling is not the same as stipulated in the maintenance manuals, do not improvise with unapproved tooling.
- Do not certify for work that you were not aware was being completed by unlicenced persons if you did not give them the necessary instructions before the job commenced.
- If you notice another LAME cutting corners, report them on appropriate forms. We will represent them and in most cases they will find adequate defence in the staffing shortages that are pressuring us to cut corners.
- If you need to take 5, take 5. If you are pressured into working this period, report the manager pressuring you.
- If a magic carpet needs a reset or any other quick fix or simple test is carried out, write up the work in the log books and enter it into Mxi.
YOUR job depends on proper reporting
Steve Purvinas
Federal Secretary
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Harrassment
I have been contacted 5 times in the past 48 hours to do overtime. Apart from the fact that it would have broken the fatigue policy, it is bordering on harassment.
I would have loved to have been able to help out but I had to take the time to de-fluff my navel.
I would have loved to have been able to help out but I had to take the time to de-fluff my navel.
short flights long nights
How did it ever come to this?
1) leave work
2) turn off phone
2) turn off phone
If you work overtime now, you are a scab, plane and simple.
( is that plain or plane, dont know)
Last edited by Arnold E; 11th Jul 2014 at 10:00.
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Fellow Engineers, this might sound obvious but the list just got shorter. If we don`t make a stand now, you know what`s going to happen. They`ll come hunting for more heads.
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SOPS, you know the answer but let me state the bleeding obvious.
Execs who have no funken idea beyond the short term bonus scheme and are prepared to throw the dice for a single win or lose bet, investors who just care about a potential profit on an asset split, a Board who don't really understand the business and employees who have been successfully divided and conquered by them all AND no process of accountability for anyone while the employees get thrown to the wolves seemingly outside of the law but with no recourse.
Now there is a potential scenario where the Execs have actually lost control of the business and will get out of it anyway they can to try and save face.
Then again I could be wrong.
Execs who have no funken idea beyond the short term bonus scheme and are prepared to throw the dice for a single win or lose bet, investors who just care about a potential profit on an asset split, a Board who don't really understand the business and employees who have been successfully divided and conquered by them all AND no process of accountability for anyone while the employees get thrown to the wolves seemingly outside of the law but with no recourse.
Now there is a potential scenario where the Execs have actually lost control of the business and will get out of it anyway they can to try and save face.
Then again I could be wrong.
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More from Texas Tony...
And the colossal Pr&%k even tries to sound magnanimous about the whole thing..
What a monumental waste of people.
I know this week has been a difficult one for all of you. Since Tuesday we have been meeting one on one with LAMEs who are potentially redundant as a result of the overcapacity we have in the business. A number have already started career transition services and are considering their options, including relocation to Perth or Brisbane. Everyone we have made contact with has demonstrated absolute professionalism and integrity throughout this difficult process, and I would like to acknowledge them for their fortitude.
As we are providing employees with this difficult news, I have received feedback from a number of people that those unaffected feel the selection criteria has targeted the ‘wrong people’ and that we are letting go of some of our best Engineers. I wanted to say a few words about this feedback.
Firstly, it is important to bear in mind that in a redundancy situation, people are losing their jobs through no fault of their own. The changes were driven by things such as fleet changes and system of maintenance changes which have reduced demand across the line ports. Unfortunately, this means that we will indeed lose people that would, but for the reduction in demand, be an asset to the company.
As to the selection criteria itself, it is fair to say that no selection criteria or process will deliver an outcome that everyone thinks is 100 percent right. What we have worked hard to do is to develop criteria that are objective, transparent and adapted to meet the specific needs of each port, as well as being in accordance with the requirements that are set out in our industrial instruments. We consulted extensively on the LAME selection criteria and received substantial feedback both directly from employees and from the union. Much of that feedback was incorporated into revisions of the criteria.
I have received some feedback that a measure of performance should have been included in the selection criteria. We have carefully considered this as I am passionate about developing a high performance culture within Maintenance Operations. On balance, we decided that on this occasion that it was not appropriate to include a performance assessment, but rather to focus on the licences and skills required in the business going forward, together with length of service as required in our industrial instruments. However, as we continue to work together within maintenance operations I will continue to look for ways of recognising, rewarding and taking account of performance in everything we do.
As an update for the AMEs, we met with the Alliance unions on Wednesday to continue our consultation. We covered the latest update on the EOI and mitigation opportunities. As I mentioned in my last update the details of the roles in Brisbane Line are available on the notice boards in each base, and there are still a number of roles available in both Perth and Brisbane Base Maintenance. In fact, if all of the opportunities were taken up, we would be left with only two positions remaining overcapacity. We are in the process of setting up our next meeting.
I also wanted to make brief mention of the CASA audit, which this week focused on Sydney. Today is the final day of the Part 145 compliance audit which has covered Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin and Canberra. All that remains is an ad-hoc audit of Adelaide which will take place next week. The support provided to both the audit and auditors has been excellent. The auditors have been dealt with respectfully by all involved and I can safely say we have done all possible to make it a success. We now await the outcome of the audit and any findings we need to respond to.
Please continue to support each other through this difficult time, and let your manager know if you have any questions or need any assistance.
Thanks for all you do.
Be safe
Tony
As we are providing employees with this difficult news, I have received feedback from a number of people that those unaffected feel the selection criteria has targeted the ‘wrong people’ and that we are letting go of some of our best Engineers. I wanted to say a few words about this feedback.
Firstly, it is important to bear in mind that in a redundancy situation, people are losing their jobs through no fault of their own. The changes were driven by things such as fleet changes and system of maintenance changes which have reduced demand across the line ports. Unfortunately, this means that we will indeed lose people that would, but for the reduction in demand, be an asset to the company.
As to the selection criteria itself, it is fair to say that no selection criteria or process will deliver an outcome that everyone thinks is 100 percent right. What we have worked hard to do is to develop criteria that are objective, transparent and adapted to meet the specific needs of each port, as well as being in accordance with the requirements that are set out in our industrial instruments. We consulted extensively on the LAME selection criteria and received substantial feedback both directly from employees and from the union. Much of that feedback was incorporated into revisions of the criteria.
I have received some feedback that a measure of performance should have been included in the selection criteria. We have carefully considered this as I am passionate about developing a high performance culture within Maintenance Operations. On balance, we decided that on this occasion that it was not appropriate to include a performance assessment, but rather to focus on the licences and skills required in the business going forward, together with length of service as required in our industrial instruments. However, as we continue to work together within maintenance operations I will continue to look for ways of recognising, rewarding and taking account of performance in everything we do.
As an update for the AMEs, we met with the Alliance unions on Wednesday to continue our consultation. We covered the latest update on the EOI and mitigation opportunities. As I mentioned in my last update the details of the roles in Brisbane Line are available on the notice boards in each base, and there are still a number of roles available in both Perth and Brisbane Base Maintenance. In fact, if all of the opportunities were taken up, we would be left with only two positions remaining overcapacity. We are in the process of setting up our next meeting.
I also wanted to make brief mention of the CASA audit, which this week focused on Sydney. Today is the final day of the Part 145 compliance audit which has covered Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin and Canberra. All that remains is an ad-hoc audit of Adelaide which will take place next week. The support provided to both the audit and auditors has been excellent. The auditors have been dealt with respectfully by all involved and I can safely say we have done all possible to make it a success. We now await the outcome of the audit and any findings we need to respond to.
Please continue to support each other through this difficult time, and let your manager know if you have any questions or need any assistance.
Thanks for all you do.
Be safe
Tony
And the colossal Pr&%k even tries to sound magnanimous about the whole thing..
What a monumental waste of people.
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Good to see that while people are losing their jobs, their dignity, their homes, and for some even considering 'ending it all' - Tony the **** is kissing CAsA's ass and eating cucumber sandwiches with them while downing bottles of Evian.
I would suggest each Engineer print off a copy of that email, use it to wipe their ass after their next 'workplace deposit' and post it back to Tony via internal mail.....
P.S Can only imagine the size of his upcoming bonus now that the books are getting cleared by having less employees on the engineering and maintenance spreadsheet!
I would suggest each Engineer print off a copy of that email, use it to wipe their ass after their next 'workplace deposit' and post it back to Tony via internal mail.....
P.S Can only imagine the size of his upcoming bonus now that the books are getting cleared by having less employees on the engineering and maintenance spreadsheet!
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These people love talking the talk about looking after everyone but it's the biggest load of crap.
All of the "management" (and I use that term loosely) couldn't give a brass razoo about us.
Level 1 (CEO)is a small (and small minded) Irish (nil connection) lightweight, low cost minded idiot who knows a total sum of nothing about running a full service, premium airline.
Level 2 (Exec Mngr Engineering) is a 67 year old Dutchman (employed 6yrs ago) who has no idea whatsoever about any operational matters (at his age he is just topping up his retirement fund and has got himself an AUS visa/citizenship to retire and has no compunction to do anything "right" by the company, only what will give him the right "payout/bonus".
Level 3 (Mngr Line Maint) is a late 50's Texan American who was Maintenance Mngr of US airline Southwest Airlines. He was the architect of them outsourcing their maintenance to low cost/no skill Central/South American countries where quality didn't exist but maint checks were "signed-off". After he left Southwest all their maintenance was brought back "in-house"
Below these 3 no hopers with nil loyalty/connection to Australia's Aitline are the complete sycophants like Baldy Tobes, who in turn have Nil operational experience and to make sure they are not challenged, install even more lickspittles below them who are so weak, they rabbit all that is said to them from above. Yes, Grunter, this would be u and you too GB the second part of the amazing flying Bart Boys. Nil experience of being an engineer but apparently know it all.
Too sad all round. ( this only scratches the surface)
All of the "management" (and I use that term loosely) couldn't give a brass razoo about us.
Level 1 (CEO)is a small (and small minded) Irish (nil connection) lightweight, low cost minded idiot who knows a total sum of nothing about running a full service, premium airline.
Level 2 (Exec Mngr Engineering) is a 67 year old Dutchman (employed 6yrs ago) who has no idea whatsoever about any operational matters (at his age he is just topping up his retirement fund and has got himself an AUS visa/citizenship to retire and has no compunction to do anything "right" by the company, only what will give him the right "payout/bonus".
Level 3 (Mngr Line Maint) is a late 50's Texan American who was Maintenance Mngr of US airline Southwest Airlines. He was the architect of them outsourcing their maintenance to low cost/no skill Central/South American countries where quality didn't exist but maint checks were "signed-off". After he left Southwest all their maintenance was brought back "in-house"
Below these 3 no hopers with nil loyalty/connection to Australia's Aitline are the complete sycophants like Baldy Tobes, who in turn have Nil operational experience and to make sure they are not challenged, install even more lickspittles below them who are so weak, they rabbit all that is said to them from above. Yes, Grunter, this would be u and you too GB the second part of the amazing flying Bart Boys. Nil experience of being an engineer but apparently know it all.
Too sad all round. ( this only scratches the surface)