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Qantaslink PH base closes. AD opens

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Qantaslink PH base closes. AD opens

Old 25th Nov 2014, 08:28
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Qantaslink PH base closes. AD opens

I may have missed something but what's going on with just announced Q link base closures and fleet changes?
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 09:13
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I may have missed something but what's going on with just announced Q link base closures and fleet changes?
Oh didn't you get that memo?

Unfortunately, no one else got either until they got to work today
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 09:17
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Summary in the news here:
Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian (search for the story with google news and it will come up)

4 x 300's put in mothballs/leased/sold means overall pilot numbers to reduce by about 30-40 by mid next year.

Last edited by roger_ramjet; 25th Nov 2014 at 09:17. Reason: link update
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 10:01
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No planned redundancies yet. Surplus on the q400 to be managed via an accelerated leave program.

"New" Q300 base in ADL for 23 pilots.
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 10:18
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QLINK EXPANDS INTO ADELAIDE - LOOK OUT REX! WHA & MTG?

TWO ADDITIONAL Q400'S TO GO INTO CAIRNS (from the closing Perth Base, currently crewed by Eastern)

TWO Q300'S TO GO INTO ADELAIDE (from the CNS base) Adelaide to be a Sunnies base.

ADDITIONAL Q400 FOR THE BN BASE (From the current AD base)

TWO Q300'S TO BE SOLD OUT OF BN

More crew will be required for these additional aircraft in Adelaide considering CNS is understaffed as it is. Youngsters watch the recruiting website in the new year. All bodes well for the current Sunnies EBA negotiations. Things are on the move with opportunities for those who wish to take them.

SN
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 11:21
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You're on drugs Nazi if you think this bides well for the pilot group!

Clearly you weren't at the meetings today or around the BNE/CNS or PER crew rooms.

After all the deckchairs are shuffled, QLink are looking at over 30 pilots SURPLUS to requirments.

There will be no recruiting for a very long time at QLink.

CNS and BNE are overstaffed with Q300 pilots as it is, then you reduce the aircraft numbers by 6/7. (there are 2 previously announced Q300's leaving and the Q200 based in BNE is going to SYD.)

Although they are adding Q400's to BNE & CNS, the number of crew required per aircraft will go down.

The ADL commands will get snapped up by ppl who either don't want to lose their command or FO's who see this as the last chance in a long time to change seats. The company has removed the type freeze for this vacancy bid.


This of course doesn't even take into account the PER based ppl who have to fight for no extra vacancies at all or hope that there is something leftover in the ADL bid.
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 12:23
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Surplus of Pilots

GN has hit the nail on the head.

Very strong vibes of surplus that the company will seek volunteers to take leave then LWOP. According to a source in HR redundancies will naturally follow if the companies target for leave isn't met.

Also notice too that no assurances were given for jobs in these briefings only "we are doing all that we can for the foreseeable future"

Will be exceptionally curious to see if our fellow crew members from PERTH shall be given priority or even seniority exemptions.

All of a sudden the fine print in the EBA will make or break how this plays out.

I do feel for those who will be unnecessarily displaced.

P.S this little briefing cost the company over 500,000 in cancelled flights and CONTRACTING ALLIANCE to takeover our work

Unhumbly Reserved
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 18:47
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Expect the EBA to be strickly followed. Staff were told yesterday that all base transfers and upgrade/downgrades will be done in order of seniority. For EAA pilots who took junior Commands in PER, it probably won't end well.

That's partly the reason some pilot groups were taken off flying duties and were given closed-door meetings away from other staff while others were told via a general meeting or phone hook ups.

The leave balances in some bases are extremely high (BNE Q400 CAPT for example) and the company is targeting those people specifically. They won't have much of a choice, choose when to take your leave, or they'll choose it for you.

Whether or not it's enough to ride out the downturn, remains to be seen.

I feel for those who get lumped with this news leading up to Christmas. The company has said that they hope to have more news in 2-3 weeks once the vacancy notice and the EOI close.

Even for those not affected by this change, it's taken the shine off what was, for all it's faults, not a bad place to work.

Hang in their QLinkers and look out for those who you fly with over the next fews months.
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 20:06
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Qantaslink PH base closes. AD opens

I have opened this thread in order to keep the Eastern and Sunstate EBA threads intact.

Some posts have been moved here to kick things off.

TID
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 20:57
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OK points taken. However by my calculations the net result of the changes to the SSA fleet is;

3 * Q400's coming into SSA. Two from Perth and one from Adelaide.

Two * Q300's being sold off.

The nett result of this is an increase of one airframe. Its true some people may be displaced around the network and BN was overstocked last time I checked but there will be around 20 crew required for AD and they will have to come from somewhere. There will be good opportunity in AD for those who are in a position to move and I can't see that base being entirely crewed from excess SSA crew alone. AD is a very sort after locality for pilots so provided the base hold's up over time I think the outlook is good and the economy will turn around at some point.

SN
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:08
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No side deals out of this. Seniority will be the only factor if redundancy occurs. It's a rough deal for the Perth guys but they were all warned when they went that this is a possibility. Qlink doesn't have a good history of keeping new bases open.

As for priority or seniority exemptions.....unfortunately no.
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:13
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Smile

Soup Nazi,

You might want to have a chat with the guys that transferred to Adelaide Mk.1 and see how that panned out for them. The base was done and dusted in a few months. Most took mega financial hits as a result. Worse still was the toll on the family relationships of those affected.

I know I wouldn't voluntarily take a gig there based on the previous management's performance. And, based on the evidence from mates still working there, the present management are even less competent (and bigger narcissists), if that could be possible

All I can say is good luck to all the remaining crew, and I hope nobody gets screwed.
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:15
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Soupy, the math means a net loss of at least two airframes, and shuffling of five (?) more, disrupting hundreds of lives when you include families. How you can put lipstick on that particular pig is beyond me.

Adelaide may be sought after, but do not minimise the get-wrenching emotional and logistical impact of a move like that. In my experience that's about half of a divorce right there.

This whole thing is nothing less than a Christmas beating.

Good luck to all affected. I was there once or twice and know that no matter how brave a face you wear, it takes a toll. Look after each other.
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:20
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Soup Nazi

You're forgetting the "Eastern" side of the equation.

My calcs have Eastern losing three x Q400 positions. For an affected Perth pilot to relocate to Adelaide will mean moving to the bottom of the Sunstate seniority list.

I'd be thinking that most likely the Q300 Captaincies will be filled from the current Sunstate list and that only the FO positions will be available to any Perth transfers. Suddenly not that attractive, IMHO.

About the only plus is that realestate prices in Adelaide are lower than Perth.

Look at the track record for new crew bases:

Adelaide (MK I): A few months
Canberra: Three years (maybe four?)
Perth: Three years

Not great, esp. when you're thinking of moving a family with you.

DIVOSH!
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:28
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As one of the pilots who've been forced to relocate when the Q300 left Melbourne, I can guarantee that the emotions that you and your partner/families go through can be brutal.

I went through the Company supplied EAP and if any of you are thinking of that then my advice is DON'T! The EAP counsellors in Melbourne were terrible. I stopped going when I realised that I was more angry after an EAP counselling session than I was before I went in.

If you need counselling, I'd suggest that you go via your GP.

DIVOSH!
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:35
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Unhappy

This is going to be a mess of gigantic proportions. Now, this isn't just the normal post-announcement-pilot-hysterics that usually follow these decisions but this is going to hurt the affected rather badly. And the Company is only to blame.

When the PER base opened a few years ago, a few SSA guys went over to either go home or get a command. That came with resigning from SSA and going to the bottom of the EAA list. Now that the base has closed, that will leave a few junior commanders back to an FO slot with EAA out of SYD/MEL/MQL just to retain a degree of seniority - or they go back to SSA at the BOTTOM of the list as an FO in CNS/BNE (after some gave up a decent seniority - to fly the same friggen aircraft for the same friggen company). The FOs in PER will probably have to do the same thing, but in ADL - again at the bottom of the SSA list (and convert to the Q300). A complete quagmire of HR policy because of the Company's refusal to combine the two seniority lists.

PER was a SSA cabin crew base, with EAA techies, on a aircraft that is only on the SSA AOC, maintained by Network Aviation. The ADL base will be SSA tech and cabin crew, operating the Q300 which is on the EAA AOC (and rumoured to be maintained by Cobham contractors) We're one big happy family - but only when it suits the Company.

I am astounded that they have decided to do this just before Christmas and while both EAA and SSA have pilot EBAs open. That 18 month pay freeze - they can cram it with walnuts

Like the Feds and management have said, seniority clauses in each EBA will be followed to the letter - but don't tell that to our new 'Fleet Standardisation and Operational Compliance Captain'.

It's been said before and I'll say it again; look out for each other. It's just three simple words that make all the difference: Are you Ok?

Fuel-Off
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:36
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Soup Nazi

You are forgetting about the four 300's taken out of Cairns and replaced by the two 400's.
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:42
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I understand your side points people but I am talking about SSA here. Seniority will dictate who goes where and that is that at this stage. The Perth crews as I understand it will not go out of work but any positions within the SSA network will be offered to SSA crew before any Eastern crew are considered. That's a problem with having two EBA's and causes all sorts of heartaches for people.

The company doesn't have the best record with keeping bases open but surely one will stick soon???? After all SA is mineral rich and I think when the economy turns it should take off.

SN
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:45
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The breakdown is;

CNS
all Q300's to go (4 frames) but 2 Q400's to be introduced = 2 less frames.

BNE
2 Q300's to go and 1 Q200 to move to SYD. 1 Q400 to be added = 2 less frames.

ADL
2 Q300's to be introduced from the 6 that are surplus in QLD.

4 aircraft to be removed from service, 2 of which were already announced in the recent financials.

23 positions for ADL, 11 Capt/10 FO, that includes a senior base pilot.
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Old 25th Nov 2014, 21:54
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G'Day Hugh

Unfortunately the current management makes the previous one look like experts. The management structure has grown massively,and continues to grow, out of all proportion to the business and this is where the blowout in costs is occurring. In addition we have a rostering and scheduling system that has all tech and cabin crew scratching their heads (e.g. following an overnight a crew can remain in a hotel all day only to operate one sector home in the evening).

Has it not occurred to anyone the amazing timing coincidence of the release of these announcements within a month from the foreshadowed close off date for the EAA EBA.

I sense some ultimatums (i.e. bullying or harassment) coming up.
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