Qantas to close Avalon maintenance base

[DaveB]

The 747's are large but they would need every bit to accommodate all those engineers.
Unfortunately for big business in Oz, and the EU for that matter, it is just too hard to adapt without slashing, burning and outsourcing.

 

[froggerADL]

As Gina implied, if only Australian workers would work for two dollars a day, we could have all the jobs we wanted. And the bosses could have massive pay rises. See, win-win.

 

[Melburnian1]

As Gina implied, if only Australian workers would work for two dollars a day, we could have all the jobs we wanted. And the bosses could have massive pay rises. See, win-win.

That's an outrageous slur upon a lady who has done an enormous amount to bring wealth and sustainable employment to Australia (and as a side benefit, trade and resultant investment to other nations). We are all far richer (in a material sense) thanks to the foresight and business sense of Lang Hancock.

Unfortunately Avalon's problems are a combination of (as nlagalle said about the first point following) changed maintenance practices and a greedy, self serving union that promoted unaffordable pay rises.

While like most of us I feel compassion for the individuals losing their jobs, it ought to be a lesson to the 15 per cent or so of the workforce who are still members of the dinosaurs called unions that they need to wake up. Making offers to go without pay for three months after the horse has bolted is disingenuous.

QF is far from perfect but in this case it has behaved in a very fair way towards its 53 Avalon employees and 230 or so contractors.

 

[JessicaTam]

That's an outrageous slur upon a lady who has done an enormous amount to bring wealth and sustainable employment to Australia (and as a side benefit, trade and resultant investment to other nations). We are all far richer (in a material sense) thanks to the foresight and business sense of Lang Hancock.

Unfortunately Avalon's problems are a combination of (as nlagalle said about the first point following) changed maintenance practices and a greedy, self serving union that promoted unaffordable pay rises.

While like most of us I feel compassion for the individuals losing their jobs, it ought to be a lesson to the 15 per cent or so of the workforce who are still members of the dinosaurs called unions that they need to wake up. Making offers to go without pay for three months after the horse has bolted is disingenuous.

QF is far from perfect but in this case it has behaved in a very fair way towards its 53 Avalon employees and 230 or so contractors.

"While the rich get richer, the poor get poorer".

 

[Hvr]

So how many employers are members of unions or as they are called for employers, associations or groups etc? I'd suggest most of them.

Employees do need a voice and most employers cannot individually mange so many workers, it is easier to actually have a standard set of terms and conditions such as an award or agreement negotiated by the affected employees. When the majority has agreed to an agreement then it actually has buy in from the workers rather than them feeling disempowered and demotivated because they have no say in how their employer is treating them.

And when so called individual agreements are issued to current or future employees they are essentially all the same. Also, why is it so bad for an employee to actually seek advice about their conditions etc?

 

[amaroo]

As Gina implied, if only Australian workers would work for two dollars a day,

This person is quite easy to dislike. She should shove that $2 where the sun don't shine......I'm no fan of unions - the likes of Gina are worse IMHO.

 

[serfty]

Bingo. I couldn't have said it better myself. I am sure they were all happy with the payrises they got 2 years ago but it always comes at a cost.

...

At least those pay rises should result in somewhat sweeter redundancy payment amounts.

 

[markis10]

I wonder if they will clean up before they close, i.e. one 743 carcass.

VH-EBU | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[VHOEJ]

I wish SP would stop this line that anything maintained outside of Australia isn't safe. All of Virgin and Tigers Heavy Maintenance is done overseas........no outrage there!

 

[maninblack]

That's an outrageous slur upon a lady who has done an enormous amount to bring wealth and sustainable employment to Australia (and as a side benefit, trade and resultant investment to other nations). We are all far richer (in a material sense) thanks to the foresight and business sense of Lang Hancock.

I assume you are joking :?:

 

[737NG]

the original union demand was an outrageous payrise amount, well over 30% IIRC..

What a load of cr*p, the union wanted 9% over three years with an agreement to bring A380 an 787 maintenance on shore. QF Avalon engineers are some of the lowest paid aircraft engineers in the country.

 

[Moody]

Let's face it - Qantas owes its shareholders everything and its employees nothing. If they can save $1 by sending maintenance overseas then they are obliged to do it. Nationalism is an outdated concept - corporate and individual greed trumps it everytime.

As for safety - it could be a non-issue, but QF32 springs to mind. I would much rather Qantas planes be flown by Qantas-trained pilots and serviced by Qantas-trained engineers, and considering my anti-nationalist and non-citizen status .... well .... you could hardly claim I am being sentimental about it.

And if all the right-wing nutters could include the phrase "Union Bosses" in their posts, I can formulate a rule to filter the trash out.

 

[under the radar]

I wonder if they will clean up before they close, i.e. one 743 carcass.

VH-EBU | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

perfect opportunity to 'rebirth' it into an airport motel/hostel..a la Stockholm 'Jumbo Hostel'....although if it cant be relocated 'landside', some 'rearranging' of landside/airside perimeter fencing may be required!!

 

[maninblack]

Let's face it - Qantas owes its shareholders everything and its employees nothing. If they can save $1 by sending maintenance overseas then they are 'obliged' to do it. Nationalism is an outdated concept - corporate and individual greed trumps it everytime.

I'm not judging the decision Qantas has made but this statement is just not right. Corporate responsibility goes a lot further than simply the maximisation of profits and they re not obliged to do it on that basis. Many other factors come into play including the various stakeholder parties which inclused employees, most of whom are also shareholders, either directly or through funds or their Super funds.

perfect opportunity to 'rebirth' it into an airport motel/hostel..a la Stockholm 'Jumbo Hostel'....although if it cant be relocated 'landside', some 'rearranging' of landside/airside perimeter fencing may be required!!

How about as part of the terminal or a very cool aerobridge.

 

[amaroo]

I'm not judging the decision Qantas has made but this statement is just not right. Corporate responsibility goes a lot further than simply the maximisation of profits and they re not obliged to do it on that basis. Many other factors come into play including the various stakeholder parties which inclused employees, most of whom are also shareholders, either directly or through funds or their Super funds.

Agree. Businesses that make unpleasant decisions today - save jobs tomorrow. Decisions like these are all about saving jobs, growing the business and increasing employment!

Don't buy into it's gotta be a QF trained engineer theory.....pure bunkum.

 

[burmans]

This person is quite easy to dislike. She should shove that $2 where the sun don't shine......I'm no fan of unions - the likes of Gina are worse IMHO.

Hard to understand where the slur comes in when she did indeed make that comment about how much workers in other companies were prepared to accept. And hard to believe but Gina isn't actually Lang reincarnated!

 

[DaveB]

Given the heavy reliance on the federal government to prevent a true open skies policy with the blocking of SQ direct to the US coming to mind, I would have thought QF has at least as much corporate responsibility to the nation as shareholders.

 

[Hvr]

Given the heavy reliance on the federal government to prevent a true open skies policy with the blocking of SQ direct to the US coming to mind, I would have thought QF has at least as much corporate responsibility to the nation as shareholders.

Mutual responsibility only applies to poor people receiving welfare.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

As Gina implied, if only Australian workers would work for two dollars a day, we could have all the jobs we wanted. And the bosses could have massive pay rises. See, win-win.

And don't forget performance bonuses for the management too for slashing the salary base.

 

[Melburnian1]

The tall poppy syndrome is alive and well.

No wonder some entrepreneurs head to more accepting climes. Countries such as Singapore regard wealth creators like Gina R with respect.

GoldCanyon340, we are competing against other nations. In good times, many companies expand their workforces either dramatically or gradually. QF and VA would be in that category.

Managers of public or private companies ought to be rewarded for keeping companies profitable. If an airline's financial situation deteriorates, it has to be able to let go of staff. No one enjoys the process, but it's part of the efficient and effective working of the free enterprise economy that has expanded our national wealth so much since Federation. The alternative is to let numerous companies in lots of sectors such as QF and VA either quickly or gradually fold.

Far better that companies have flexibility. One hidden factor is that many Australians are reluctant to move interstate for a new job. That can be understandable, but the media recently suggested we were less flexible than some other nations in that regard.