Nice to see a gay guy taking some decisive action to cut a deal with his workforce.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15504838
Nice to see a gay guy taking some decisive action to cut a deal with his workforce.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15504838
It was about time for something decisive to happen. The unions have stepped way over the line with Qantas, trying to dictate how a publicly listed company is run and putting the airline at a significant disadvantage to its competitors (which aren't subject to such high union demands).
It's a good example of unions at their worst. I have mates who handle industrial relations as part of their jobs, negotiating with unions (though not the same ones as Qantas) regularly. The unions know where they live and work so during intense negotiations when the company won't concede, they live day to day under the threat physical harm.
The threat is real because last year, one of them was actually set upon by half a dozen union members outside his home and put in hospital for a day (not to mention his suit ruined and car damaged). I know another guy who has narrowly avoided union heavies a couple of times this year. He has no idea if they actually meant to hurt him. Not a nice way to live and the reality is if they want to get you they will, unless you completely change how you live.
Unions, which behave like this have no place in a modern economy. Workers who band under these unions should really do the right thing and fuck off elsewhere if they're unhappy with the wages or conditions offered.
This was a well crafted announcement (see video): http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/836 ... -employees
The bit where he talks about shutting down Qantas part by part really drives home the implications of allowing the unions to continue their bullshit.
Well Qantas has long been understood ti stand for either "Queer And Nasty Types As Stewards" or "Queer and Nervous, Try Another Service."
Although the standard of service on Qantas flights has sadly deteriorated in recent years (last year I was astonished at the age and size of the female flight attendants on a domestic flight, as it is not often flight attendants are older and larger than I), I fondly remember a flight in the later 1970s from Sydney to Noumea when I was plied with excellent brandy while listening to Beethoven on my headphones. I was practically legless when I disembarked, and almost forgot to let the stewards know where I was staying.
You have the same all around the world and for many years now.
I don't know it for a fact but I wou;d assume that part of this is because of unions, discrimination and the mere fact that good jobs are hard to find. People cant be let go for any old reason, you cant discriminate on the basis of sex or age and flight attendants due to union demands get raises so they dont want to leave.
I was always a very frequent flier with Continental Air out of the US, now merged with United and on the Hong Kong route which was thier second most favorite route, older flight attendants would bid on these routes, fly 4 days or 6 a month and have the rest of the month off! They would get paid for a whole month!
The flight senior was a woman that had just turned 70 and had been with the airline since she was a young pup.
One of the things that strangles businesses so, is the fact that the more seniority, the more they get paid and they cant hire on new staff and urge the older ones off. I am not saying what I think about it only that it really hurts businesses and thats why you are seeing older staff.
One of my friend's at Qantas who is a flight attendant says Qantas means Quick And Nasty Typical Australian Service but those women have HUGE arses and they let them wear trousers but the lockout was about pilots not flight attendants.
My reading on the dispute, admittedly limited because I don't live in Australia and I refuse to pay the Murdochs the fee for reading "The Australian" online, suggested that the industrial dispute was not limited to pilots but involved many more workers at Qantas.Originally Posted by BrisbaneGuy
By the way, I have no problem with aging and weight-challenged trolley-dollies of any or no discernible gender dishing out the meals and hawking duty-free goods but, given flight attendants' key role in emergencies, I become concerned when they no longer have the strength to open the emergency doors and seem unlikely to be able to fit between the rows of seats to assist passenger to get out. Moreover, having to squeeze past one on the way to the toilet is an unpleasant experience, to say the least.
Why pay the murdocks anything you can read the Sydney Herald or the Melblouyrne Age for free www.smh.com.au or www.theage.com.au
Yeah, it sucks that TheAustralian has gone behind a paywall now but it's worth paying for. The quality of journalism is superior to SMH or TheAge or News.com.au. They offer the best general business news and intelligent and to the point updates and insight. It's different to the junk you can find on any news site.
You can tell they've been ramping up to make TheAustralian a paid news site because they've been working hard to position themselves in this "intelligent and superior business news" space for the last few years and it's worked. They've built up the quality of the site to a point where it's become indispensable to many. I thought it was stupid and not doable when Murdoch said they were angling for paid news sites a few years ago but now I can see how it's possible, especially with niches like this where they're providing quality journalism.
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I don't care about the age of flight attendants when I fly... All I care is that they're cheerful, professional, diligent and helpful. Same with staff anywhere really. The reason older staff sometimes don't get hired easily isn't because of their age. It's due to attributes, which might be derived from their age (e.g. slow or not good with technology). Same reason younger staff sometimes don't get hired.
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Anyway... Looks like the arsehole unions have taken an arse whooping with this move! Yipee.
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