Qantas grounds entire fleet!

[shon7]

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/qantas-grounds-fleet-20111029-1mpgc.html

wow. unprecedented.

 

[scoreboardII]

Maybe SWA will buy them.

 

[Crash Pad]

I once negotiated with a guy like that... I got the horns as well.

 

[Gillegan]

/////

RSSLatest News
Qantas responds to industrial action
Sydney, 29 October 2011
Qantas today announced that, from 8pm AEDT on Monday 31 October 2011, it will lock out all employees who will be covered by the industrial agreements currently being negotiated with the Australian Licenced Engineers Union (ALAEA), the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Australian and International Pilots Union (AIPA).
This step is being taken under the provisions of the Fair Work Act in response to industrial action taken by these unions. The financial impact of action taken to date has reached $68 million and the action is costing Qantas approximately $15 million per week in lost revenue. Approximately 70,000 passengers have been affected and more than 600 flights cancelled.
Pilots, licenced engineers and baggage, ground and catering staff are essential to Qantas operations and the lock-out will therefore make it necessary for all Qantas aircraft to be grounded. For precautionary reasons, this will take place immediately (as at 5pm AEDT, Saturday 29 October 2011).
Aircraft currently in the air will complete the sectors they are operating. However, there will be no further Qantas domestic departures or international departures anywhere in the world. This will have an estimated financial impact on Qantas of $20 million per day.
The lock-out will continue until the ALAEA, the TWU and AIPA drop the extreme demands that have made it impossible for agreements to be reached.
Jetstar flights, QantasLink flights and Qantas flights across the Tasman operated by Jetconnect will continue. Express Freighters Australia and Atlas Freighters will also continue to operate.
Requirements for employees are as follows:
- Until the lock-out commences, all employees are required at work as normal and will be paid.
- Once the lock-out commences:
- employees who are locked out will not be required at work and will not be paid.
- employees working overseas will not be locked out and will continue to be paid.
- all other employees are required at work and will be paid as normal.
Customers booked on Qantas flights should not go to the airport until further notice. A full refund will be available to any customer who chooses to cancel their flight because it has been directly affected by the grounding of the fleet. Full rebooking flexibility will be available to customers who wish to defer their travel.
Assistance with accommodation and alternative flights, as well as other support, will be offered to customers who are mid-journey.
Customers should monitor qantas.com for the latest updates. The latest information will also be posted on Qantas’ PPRuNe and FacePPRuNe accounts.
Only customers travelling within the next 24 hours should call Qantas contact centres (on 13 13 13).
Qantas regrets that this action has become necessary and apologises sincerely to all affected passengers.
Issued by Qantas Corporate Communication (5218)
Email: [email protected]

 

[LearLove]

Maybe SWA will buy them.

spoken like a guy who works for an airline that for many many years was the lowest paid with no pension, worst work rules and used as the bench standard for gutting the better paying majors post 911.

 

[ultrarunner]

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/qantas-grounds-fleet-20111029-1mpgc.html

wow. unprecedented.

Yep, pretty incredible. I'm thinking the airline feels their hand is better. I prly wouldn't be against it.....

 

[fr8doggie]

Been Done Before...

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/qantas-grounds-fleet-20111029-1mpgc.html

wow. unprecedented.

Not really. See NWA 1998.

 

[dicko]

The Irish shirtlifting, snaggletoothed midget running the show is one of the most despised figures in Australian Aviation. He's turned "whipsaw" into an art form.

 

[Quimby]

spoken like a guy who works for an airline that for many many years was the lowest paid with no pension, worst work rules and used as the bench standard for gutting the better paying majors post 911.

I'm pretty sure he was kidding.

Go have a beer or something, geeze.

 

[Green Banana]

Virgin Australia said it would accommodate Qantas passengers where possible and was looking at adding more services in response to Qantas grounding its fleet over labor dispute. sting Qantas approximately A$15 million per week in lost revenue.

Struck work?

 

[dkwid]

Virgin Australia said it would accommodate Qantas passengers where possible and was looking at adding more services in response to Qantas grounding its fleet over labor dispute. sting Qantas approximately A$15 million per week in lost revenue.

Struck work?

Seriously?

Is VA proposing to give that revenue to Qantas? Are the Qantas employees on Strike? If am employee group is on strike and a competing company benefits from the strike actions isn't that the intent of the strike?

Strikes are intended to put financial pressure on a company. Leverage.

This is not a strike. Naturally VA, Delta, United, ets will benefit financially.

Not Struck work

 

[Poahi]

A very risky move. If this strategy fails, they may have to liquidate, if it succeeds, it may set the standard for contract negotiations. Looks like they are looking for public support and for the unions to turn on each other.

 

[Green Banana]

Ok, agreed that competition is not struck work. It was an actuall question. Thanks.

Is this an actuall strike? Some articles say the airline decided to stop operations and others say the employees have been striking since September.

 

[SKC]

Ok, agreed that competition is not struck work. It was an actuall question. Thanks.

Is this an actuall strike? Some articles say the airline decided to stop operations and others say the employees have been striking since September.

Unions have been involved in "industrial actions", which doesn't sound like strikes but rather slow downs, or sick outs, or something of the sort.

 

[ackattacker]

Maybe I'm slow but I don't get it. Isn't this the very definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face? Some sort of reverse strike? I would think ordinarily management types are beholden to *stockholders* who won't look kindly on intentionally running a company into the ground in order to spite the workers.

 

[Poahi]

Unions have been involved in "industrial actions", which doesn't sound like strikes but rather slow downs, or sick outs, or something of the sort.

UPDATE: Qantas Expects New Strike Action After Union Rejects Pay Offer
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20111026-704141.html

 

[Flopgut]

It's going to end up struck work. It's disputed the way it is right now. Better watch your trips and know your contracts. If your airline adds a extra flight somewhere watch out...

 

[Kenny]

You can't throw the phrase "struck work" around when talking about this.

Firstly it's only the QF long haul pilots who are trying to negotiate a new CBA, not the domestic pilots. They are on a completely different contract. Any extra flights that Virgin is doing is only domestic and only to clear the backlog of pax that have been stranded.

Secondly, the QF long haul pilots are not on strike.

Thirdly, the QF pilots are represented by AIPA. The Virgin pilots are represented by both the AFAP and VIPA. And even then union membership is not compulsory in Australia.

 

[ultrarunner]

It's going to end up struck work. It's disputed the way it is right now....

There can be no 'struck-work' when there is no labor group that isn't on strike.

END OF STORY!

 

[Poahi]

All 108 aircraft in as many as 22 countries will be grounded until unions representing pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers reach agreements with Qantas over pay and conditions, Joyce said.

Joyce is the Chief Executive.