Keg. You have it in a 'nut shell'.

It would actually require some "talent" to properly manage the business, as opposed to the same old slash and burn mentality which has led us to this!

I just wish someone from exco would have the spine, the balls to lay it out on the table and put us all out of our misery. Joyce, be a man for once in your life and show your hand, I call.

QANTAS - Wake Up Australia!
 

QANTAS; just another corporate entity chasing profit at the expense of its workforce.

What’s missing within the QANTAS corporate rhetoric at present is the acceptance that there must be a balance drawn between the requirements of the employer and those of the employee.

The current management seeks the nirvana of controlling all costs to maximise business performance; profit. The nirvana is no balance at all. QANTAS does not control the cost of aircraft, fuel, airports, spare parts, etc. It’s only the workforce over which the company has any significant input to cost control. Within the current mind-set, as far as the management is concerned the employees are a tradeable commodity, an irritating fact of doing business that they’d love to do without.

Every employee in this country has a lot at stake within their continued employment; however it’s only shareholders that have the ear of management. Stakeholders are not recognised by corporate managements, regardless of the industry.

The Australian Dollar is now set for a lengthy period of stellar performance, a challenge for QANTAS and many other businesses and industries. The comparative cost of doing business with an Australian workforce is only going to become more skewed as time moves on. None of these circumstances however justify an attack upon Australian based employees, their conditions and continued tenure of employment. QANTAS management appears set to continue and escalate such attacks across its entire workforce, on the basis that it’s the only way to compete and remain profitable. The next best option is to find a cheaper workforce, so it’s off to third-world countries to have them do the work for you; export the jobs to Asia!

What the ALAEA is defending within the current industrial battle is the unjustified exporting of jobs. Without real justification, such action is immoral. The Pilot’s and Ground staff will be involved next, with a re-run of the same arguments by QF management.

There are tough times ahead for business managements and that’s going to require excellence in management. Alan Joyce and his management are going to have work smart instead of playing the old and tiresome game of industrial bullying, right down to the dated industrial rhetoric from the poison-pen of Olivia Wirth in the corporate communications department.

Wake up Australia!

Dragonfly

What is really interesting about all of this is the way the Rat is killing itself. There are many Australian companies that thrive in the international competitive world and can compete with the best. The difference with them is that they always protect their roots.

The Rat has no strategy except to alienate its entire workforce, customers and loyal supporters with NO regard for keeping the solid base that has been established and thrived for many years. The JStar cannibalisation is just one aspect of a much wider failure of strategy, governance and moral ground.

An Airline is not run for its senior execs and they have no right to an assumed position of importance, they just have different responsibilities. They coexist with everyone who makes an organisation successful and each without the other will not exist.

Whilst doing this, the Rat exec believe they can spin everyone and are prepared to say anything to suit their purpose. Someone had better start preparing the book and movie because this will end up as a case study for all business schools in how not to run a business and it will be ugly.

Forget Enron, HIH and whoever, they were mere teasers as to what is unfolding here and it is happening now. The only hope that anyone has is a complete flogging by the senators and I dont hold my breath for that. As doubtful as that is, you cannot legislate to stop bad behaviour and the way the Rat is ducking and weaving since the first lot of hearings shows complete contempt for the system and acceptable standards of corporate behaviour.

How can the Board tolerate this and not act will undoubtedly end up in some being held to account at some stage.

Meanwhile, we all sit back and watch it unfold with almost no ability to influence because of the Rat disregard for the systems that are supposed to protect the staff and the wider Australia as a modern and sophisticated society.

Great post, it doesn't only apply to the Rat though.

In relation to the systems above, the companies circumvent outside scrutiny by writing those systems/processes into the company procedures. There is no need for third parties to enforce compliance as it looks like the company is being proactive in doing this itself. They look adequate and appropriate to those outside tasked to monitor or ensure compliance. The problem is that those wishing to climb the corporate greasy pole are tacitly charged with circumventing these systems. The reward is advancement, getting caught is becoming a scapegoat/fallguy. Price-fixing anyone?

Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812), founder of the House of Rothschild.

See the similarity here? Executives has seized control of the "money supply" of the nation via businesses, everyone else becomes their lackeys through influence pedalling. Executives control the destiny of the businesses, nothing else matters. If they want to destroy it and pick the assets up on the cheap, there is very little to stop them. They will blame the unions, the oil price or some other "shock".

We live in a crony capital world. Modern business is just a white criminal mafia gang. They all sit on each others boards. The regulatory environment operates like a revolving door - from business to regulator to politician and back to business.

The small circle of businesmen watches each others backs while they extract everything they can for personal gain, stripping shareholders of their assets, and stealing from staff & customers. This is the predator class.

What is happening at Qantas is no accident, it was the plan right from the start. Destroy the company, loot the jewels and scoop up the assets at fire sale prices into a private company. I'm sure the board is most satisfied with the progress. As has been alluded to, the chairman is, or has been associated with massive private equity firm KKR. Do you wonder why?

Perfect Breakfast Burrito
 

You have articulated the Qantas situation perfectly.The only hope is the senate report.If that is a whitewash then Qantas will be buried and along with it the hopes and aspirations of 36000 employees
Dixon may pop up somewhere to enjoy some of the spoils.He started the decline but apparently wasnt doing the deed quickly enough.Hence his replacement

Para Phrase an Old Quote
 

Evil runs riot when good men sit back and do nothing

Avoid investing in any airline stocks like the plague. Depreciation costs are too high which bite into the net profit significantly. In the case of Qantas, the balance sheet shows that they are in a really bad shape. There are much better places to put your money.

Burrito is on to it. I smell another attempt to screw the shareholders and take QF private.

Sunfish,
You are absolutely right, the stench is growing.

Most corps with this aim would actually try to increase the value of the Company BUT in this case everything possible has been done to create unrest/damage/uncertainty whilst sailing close to the legal wind. I can see it now, long suffering shareholders being eager to jump ship as a price premium to the current market.

Cannot wait for the hugs on the podium. Hope we are both wrong for many reasons.

Mugzy
 

I can assure you I only hold Qantas shares because I am an employee and can not sell them until September this year. I can also assure you, that with this management, I will be selling the shares as soon as I can!

The Burrito is right.

It matters not what the government of the day is - they are middle managers in the larger scheme of things. Policy is made by the small group who aspire to be the unelected leaders of the world. The Australian Government (of any stripe) is charged with implementing it.

Do not expect government support.

Qantas executives have a clear priority at the moment.

That is either bypass the Qantas sale act by creating new airlines in other regions or lobby governments to abandon the Qantas sale act due to it being an anchor on Qantas ability to compete internationally.
Either way I think we are looking down the barrel of another private equity buy out.

Dixon spent about 8 years talking down the value of QAN to the media and hollow logging cash so as to make the APA takeover seem impressive and sail into the sunset with his millions.
Joyce is creating similar sentiment in the market. Talking down Qantas and building cash reserves.
The only possible thing to look forward to in this scenario is the public hug and kiss on the front page between Clifford and Joyce.

As I said before in a Virgin thread (before being deleted), if they never spent the Qantas capital on Jetstar, the interest on the interest would be more money than Jetstar have ever contributed to the bottom line.

How much money has Jetstar cost Qantas now? 60+ jets? Facilities? etc

Makes the unsustainable growth look great and ticks the boxes for management KPI bonuses, but money in the bank would have kept Qantas much stronger than a dysfunctional LCC.

Maybe Joyce will slip him one?

Ok, I'll get my coat......

As Prince Metternich said at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 when informed of the death of the Russian ambassador: "I wonder what his motive was."

Dixon to Return ?
 

When Dixon gets invited to join the board you will then know that the end game is in sight

Don't know what you're all worried about. To quote news.com.au: