• Qantas grounds entire fleet.
    37 replies, posted
[QUOTE=devotchkade;33031313]Southwest? The airline that kicks people off for [url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/news/passengers-too-fat-to-fly-ordeal/story-e6frg8ro-1226058063132]being[/url] [url=http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/02/15/southwest-airlines-has-a-big-fat-kevin-smith-problem/]too[/url] [url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/05/18/another-too-fat-to-fly-controversy-hits-southwest-airlines/]fat[/url], [url=http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/09/l-word-star-kiss-/549137/1]kissing people of the same sex[/url], or [url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20638479/ns/today-today_people/t/thrown-plane-outfit-deemed-too-skimpy/]wearing a 'slutty' mini-skirt[/url]? Yeah, real people-oriented.[/QUOTE] i think he meant that southwest is a corporation type of airline rather than a people type of airline i dont know much about the airlines in australia, but this sounds exceedingly childish on the CEOs part. I wonder who he's trying to impress by causing all this mess.
Did some quick number crunching, and assuming all 37000 employees are working 40 hour weeks, 52 weeks a year (and they won't be (because a lot of them are pilots, executives, people on part time, etc) QANTAS could afford to pay EVERYBODY $3 more per hour and they'd still be running at a profit (based on 2010's figures). Admittedly it wouldn't be a HUGE profit, but it'd still be a profit. $1 per hour more really wouldn't hurt them as a company at all. $1.50 per hour extra for everyone would still leave QANTAS with a lot of money.
Heh. Virgin Airlines. Facepunch's sponsor.
[QUOTE=SteeleCratos;33034550]i think he meant that southwest is a corporation type of airline rather than a people type of airline [/QUOTE] I don't think so... he said: [QUOTE=TheTalon;33027687]Virgin is more of a People type of airline than a Corporation type of airline, if that makes any sense, which it probably doesn't. Kind of like Southwest[/QUOTE] So he basically said... Virgin is a people-type airline as opposed to a corporation one... like Southwest.
[quote][B]Fair Work Australia (FWA) has ruled to terminate an industrial dispute between Qantas and three unions in an emergency hearing, paving the way for the airline to return to the skies.[/B] The tribunal of judges retired for over two hours to consider whether to suspend or terminate the industrial action that triggered the saga. In handing down the decision, Fair Work Australia accepted that the industrial action would have caused significant economic harm and would occur under a suspension order. In an unprecedented move, Qantas announced the immediate grounding of its entire fleet on Saturday ahead of a lockout of staff on Monday. The deadlock has already affected more than 68,000 passengers worldwide and there were fears a failure to get planes back in the air quickly would damage the national economy. Read more about what caused the Qantas dispute. The Federal Government had applied to the industrial umpire for the termination or suspension of industrial disputes between Qantas and three unions - Australian Licensed Engineers Union (ALAEA), the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Australian and International Pilots Union (AIPA). In a press conference after the decision was handed down, Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten said the Government was pleased with the decision. "We are pleased after 24 hours of turmoil, common sense was restored," he told reporters. "We believe now that Qantas and the unions will focus on getting flying as soon as they can." Unions had wanted an 120-day suspension of all action, whereas Qantas argued for a lasting termination. ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence has also responded to the ruling, calling for the Federal Government to ensure Qantas fulfils its obligations. "We'll be working to make sure that those planes are in the air as soon as possible and that Qantas remains a good and viable airline that provides good jobs for Australian workers," he said. "Fair Work Australia has recognised that it's the actions of Qantas that has the potential to cause harm to the Australian economy." Qantas said it was losing $15 million per week due to months of strikes and other industrial action by unions. Qantas says 447 flights have been cancelled, with furious passengers in major cities around the world vowing never to fly with Qantas again. Qantas chief Alan Joyce, who ordered the lockout, made it clear he would not put his planes back in the air unless he had the "certainty" of a termination, not a suspension, of all industrial action.[/quote] [url]http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-31/terminate-action/3609158[/url]
So the guy that said Australia doesn't pull the same BS we do was wrong. Super. Nothing like seeing the government meddle with worker's rights to start the day
Go Virgin!
[QUOTE=Zeke129;33039588]So the guy that said Australia doesn't pull the same BS we do was wrong. Super. Nothing like seeing the government meddle with worker's rights to start the day[/QUOTE] Zeke, that's not fair. Most of the workers and unions didn't want Joyce to ground the fleet - [url=http://www.actu.org.au/Media/Mediareleases/UnionswelcomeFairWorkAustraliadecisionnowJoycemustgettheplanesbackintotheair.aspx]some of them publicly celebrated this news[/url]. Joyce grounded it in an attempt to intimidate the workers, and make it look like their 'unreasonable demands' were forcing him to do this. It also had the effect of making sure the general public, who were the ones being inconvenienced, would rage at the workers for it supposedly being their fault. Being forced to start flying again? That's a good thing, one that Joyce didn't want. The next priority, they said, will be resuming the negotiations. So there's hope yet. Also, judging from statements that our government has given, they were a) not happy that Joyce had grounded the fleet with very little notice, b) not happy that he was taking severe industrial action against them, and c) tending towards the side of the workers. Nothing's been announced yet, and they've stayed away from the conflict for the most part, but if this goes on, I suspect they'll go with the workers.
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