Qantas tells 120 pilots they can go fly for Emirates

[drron]

Can I say to odysseus and DrRon and others on this thread that I apologise for being both rude and snide.
I think that too many days on the road makes me grumpy and abrupt. I'll try to respond with a bit more grace and humour rather than being an aggressive cough.

Since I feel I have lowered the tone of the thread, maybe I can try to make amends and raise the tone.

To nlagalle: The News of the World income appears to be pocket money compared to the BSKYB deal that is at serious risk for Murdoch. Cutting loose NOTW seems to certainly be a fiscal decision in this regard. Would you agree with this?

To Pu Koh: Thanks for pulling me into line, I forget how abrupt I can be. As for the example which you supplied regarding your colleague, you described it as a win-win. Please don't think me being picky, but wasn't it a Win-Lose? A win for her, but a lose for the company?
The company paid a redundancy pay out and then employed her back. Surely the company lost?

My issue with the secondment is that I cannot see what the upside is for Qantas Mgt. This is not an altruistic decision, they would make this offer on a purely fiscal basis (for themselves).
I see Qantas as a shrinking company, and I see JetStar as a growing company. It just seems to me that if these pilots return it can only be to a Jetstar contract, not a Qantas one. What do you guys think? Would Qantas try that on, or would it be too obvious a ploy?
Once again, apologies for my previous tone.

I took no offence.I can be equally snide-and usually dont even realise it!
But I do think it is hard to circumvent the IR laws.I also think moopere is more than likely right.but just an opinion.

 

[Hvr]

I don't see anything nefarious in QF offering this. In fact, I think it is a great deal for the pilots. If the deal is the same as others like in the academic fields or Telstra (I've got experience with those two) or the finance industry , there is no down side to the offer. The pilots are still employed by QF (leave without pay) and QF have to provide a role to them when they come back. If QF can't offer them a role, then QF is liable for redundancy payments. Similar deals are usually for a period of 1 year and 3 years is a long time.

The pilots get the opportunity to try a different company in an overseas location, work under a different environment and culture, fly new routes, etc. If they like it, the is the opportunity to resign QF and join EK. If they don't like it, can come back to same position.

At Telstra, there were a number of ex-colleagues who took similar deals to go work in Canada, US and Europe. Some of them resigned. During that period Telstra went through re-structures and people were made redundant. Some of those on leave, came back for a week, took the redundancy package and went back... free money!!

I feel those saying this is a way for QF to not fulfill their commitments to their staff is just not true and just another part of the whole QF bashing. This is a smart way for QF to reduce their costs while still retaining a skilled pilot base in the future and for the pilots to explore other opportunities safe in the knowledge that they can come back to QF to the same position as when the left.

I agree with MrHyde. I am currently on secondment with another employer, learning heaps and loving it. Done well secondments are win/win for both parties.

Depending on what happens I may stay where I am or return to my substantial employer.

I think QF is actually wise here to let their FOs have a look at what is out there, get heaps of hours and international experience and then if they want to, return. If they don't want to return then que sera sera, people move on and there's no hard feelings.

I would imagine that the pilot world is small and there is no use annoying people one day when you may well need then a bit down the track.

People do move on and if they realise that the grass wasn't greener then they can return and will probably be happy they at least have the experience of trying another employer. Try before you buy is great for both parties and long may it continue.

 

[browski]

Just a bit of an update......

Turns out EK were in a paid deal with Qantas to acquire the pilots.
Mr Joyce on Sunday, then went on Inside Business YouTube - ‪Alan Joyce Inside Business interview 10 July 2011‬‏
and basically told the world that on Aug 24, there were going to be pilot redundancies. (At the 4.30min mark, I must say Mr Borghetti is looking very sharp these days.) At the 13.45min mark the cat is out of the bag and then it descends into blubber.

I'm not sure if Mr Joyce realizes that Dubai works on a Sunday, but as a consequence of his interview...... Emirates withdrew the pilot offer!.......knowing that they would just pickup the pilots for nothing after Aug 24.

........and then for the first time in 40 years the pilots have decided to commence strike action.
Too funny......if it wasn't so sad for everyone associated with QF.

 

[nlagalle]

Just a bit of an update......
I'm not sure if Mr Joyce realizes that Dubai works on a Sunday, but as a consequence of his interview...... Emirates withdrew the pilot offer!.......knowing that they would just pickup the pilots for nothing after Aug 24.

........and then for the first time in 40 years the pilots have decided to commence strike action.
Too funny......if it wasn't so sad for everyone associated with QF.

Actually I didn't read that was the reason thy withdrew the offer, more that there was discord within the EK ranks about the deal, plus QF possibly changing the terms too.

 

[browski]

Actually I didn't read that was the reason thy withdrew the offer, more that there was discord within the EK ranks about the deal, plus QF possibly changing the terms too.

Of course there was discord with the EK pilots.......their only bargaining chip with EK management is if there is a lack of pilots. But that have had zero effect on EK's decision. Also. bear in mind that EK would prefer to keep a pilot for a minimum of 7 years to get max value out of a recruitment.

Still stinks. All the media talk presented this as an altruistic offer, not one where QF were going to make profit out of any pilot defections.

I'm not sure if all forum members are aware, but EK are enemy number 1 as far as QF are concerned.....and so they should be.