[CXDiamond]

I’m well aware that the situation between BA and BASSA was different to the situation at Qantas however the end result was the same, people were unsure of the airline and whether or not they would be able to travel on their chosen flight.

In my view it is a pity we don’t have the same system in the UK as Fair Work Australia. I’m sure it could have been used to great advantage in dealing with the cabin crew situation and it would presumably be far more productive if all crew adhered to mixed fleet terms and conditions of working.

It will take years to work out the legacy of three fleets which Walsh left behind when if he had approached matters differently a unified set of terms and conditions could have been achieved. Walsh has not left behind a happy legacy. I did not think he was up to the job when he was appointed and time has proved me right. His experience at Aer Lingus was insufficient for the role at BA and he’s not that well educated.

Qantas will be in a much stronger position more quickly.

I see no evidence today that Qantas has alienated anyone other than some trade unionists who are realising what Joyce has achieved, what I have heard and seen throughout today is support for his actions and the only criticism I’ve heard is that he should have done it all sooner.

[continentalclub]

The remit of Fair Work Australia (FWA) is largely mirrored by that of the Advisory, Conciliation & Arbitration Service (ACAS) in the UK.

The principal difference between the two countries is not in their agencies, but rather it is in the legislative framework within which the respective agencies (and employers, trade unions and employees) must work.

‘Binding Arbitration,’ as a concept, is recognised in both the UK and Australia, however the UK’s very different laws pertaining to industrial action (trade union and employer) tend to mean that arbitration is far less common in major disputes than it once was, and Binding Arbitration even less so.

[Tete_de_cuvee]

Credit rating agencies have taken a poor view of Joyce’s actions as the Financial Times has reported :

Moody’s on Monday put Qantas investment-grade rating on review for downgrade because it said the grounding of the fleet over the weekend would “place pressure on the airline’s forward bookings, profitability and longer term brand equity”.

Meanwhile, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the company’s outlook to negative.

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

The market has strongly supported Joyce’s decision and the end of industrial action – in the first day of trading after the shutdown, the Qantas shareprice rose by more than 4%.

Investors like certainty – as does the travelling public – and that is what the weekend’s decisive action achieved.

[RichHI1]

Having no connection with Australia, I find this thread informative. Unlike some posters whose views I would perceive as extremist, I tend to sit in the middle and get as angry with Union politicking as I do with management grandstanding. What sounds great here is the FWA who have the power to knock heads and say a plague on both your houses so the pax actually benefits. What a great system.

[Binman62]

RichH1….I agree the passengers are the ones who benefited from this decision, especially those who were dumped in cities across the globe without warning and in some cases ( notably HKG where the staff fled) with little help or assistance.
It cannot be right that people are treated in this way by anyone, be they Trades Unions or Management.

I would and do however support the rights of employees to withhold their labour and to be protected by legislation when doing so. In the UK, the balance is just about right with the requirements for secret and accurate ballots and for periods of notice to be given. Similar requirements should also be in place to prevent the sort maniacal behaviour which was witness on Saturday.

And before I am accused of being some liberal leftie, I have never withheld my labour nor actively supported strike action in any form. It has always seemed to me to be utterly counterproductive. That said, I admire those who take a principled stand and who are prepared to stand up for what they believe in. They must however do so within the law, where that law is just and reasonable.

Equally management need to behave reasonably and take their staff with them to achieve the vision they have for their organisations. I have been involved in significant cultural and business change in the past and it was only achieved through discussion, persuasion and a lot of hard work.

You simply cannot continue with the double standards advocated by many and especially “the market” who’s unfettered greed and absence of accountability has brought ruin to many. The increasingly detached elite who behave is this reprehensible manner will
simply create a more divided society and marginalised population and that is something that all of us should be concerned about.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

I’ve now beein in SYD for 48 hours, almost all work but a little catch up with friends. I have yet to hear a word of condemnation about the actions Joyce took at Qantas over the last weekend and to the contrary I’ve heard much praise. People think Qantas is now reliable as an option to choose again after so many weeks of uncertainty. One large company who were talking to Virgin have terminated discussions and will keep their accounts with Qantas.

All in all, it seems like Joyce has achieved a very satisfactory outcome.

[FlyingChinaman]

LPPSKrisflyer: ALL travellers value reliability and safety from an air carrier, home-grown or foreign.

How management works out a satisfactory formula with its labour force is less of a DIRECT concern to the passengers.

Sympathy to the labour force is one thing, disruption or constant uncertainty is another. This is how the real world works.

Who would want to be stranded?

Thank you for the on-the-spot update.

[VintageKrug]

I’d agree with LLPSKrisFlyer.

Hello VintageKrug

Now that Qantas has resumed normal operations I would like to
update you on what the recent decision by Fair Work Australia
means for you.

I apologise sincerely for any inconvenience that you or your
family experienced during the grounding of the Qantas fleet
between Saturday evening and Monday afternoon.

The decision to lock out some of our employees was an immensely
difficult one and one that I did not want to have to make. But
it was a decision that we were driven to by the industrial
action of three unions, together representing less than 20
percent of Qantas employees.

As of last Friday, industrial action by those unions had forced
the cancellation of hundreds of flights, disrupted 70,000
passengers and cost Qantas $68 million. Two union leaders had
warned that industrial action could continue into next year.

This would have had a devastating effect on our customers, on
all Qantas employees and on the businesses which depend on
Qantas services.

On Saturday, I came to the conclusion that this crisis had to
end. I made the decision to proceed with a lock-out, the only
form of protected industrial action available to Qantas under
the Fair Work Act, so that agreement could be reached quickly.

Unfortunately, it was necessary as a precautionary measure to
ground the fleet immediately after the announcement that
a lock-out would take place. While I deeply regret the
short-term impact of the fleet being grounded, following the
Fair Work Australia decision we now have absolute certainty
for our customers. No further industrial action can take place.
No more aircraft will be grounded and no services cancelled as
a result of industrial action.

You can now book Qantas flights with complete confidence. This
is an immeasurably better situation than last Friday, when
Qantas faced the prospect of ongoing disruptions, perhaps for
another 12 months.

We have now moved into 21 days of negotiations with each of
the unions with the assistance of Fair Work Australia. All
parties will be treated equally in order to reach reasonable
agreements. If this cannot happen, binding arbitration will take
place to secure an outcome. We will respect whatever decisions
are reached.

Regardless of how and when the agreements are reached, the
period of uncertainty and instability for Qantas is over. We
are moving forward and putting this dispute behind us.

Our focus now is on our customers. We want to restore your faith
by returning our on-time performance to its normal high levels,
continuing to invest in new aircraft and lounges and ensuring
the best possible in-flight experience.

The end of industrial action means we can concentrate on what
matters – getting you to your destination on time and in comfort,
offering the best network and frequency of any Australian airline
and rewarding your loyalty as a Qantas Frequent Flyer.

Thank you for your patience and for your continued support
of Qantas.

Alan Joyce
CEO Qantas Airways

[RichHI1]

I find it disconcerting that a poster wishes to abuse this forum with a blatant commercial for a specific carrier. I think the above post should be deleted.

[Author]

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