Qantas Shutdown
 

Alan Joyce has just held a press conference announcing the lock out of some Qantas staff and has shutdown the airline effective immediately.

Stunned.......Virgin must think Christmas has come early. Ball is now back in the unions court. Government has to become involved now.

This is huge.
 

This will live in History.

Wow that's a major change in events.
AJ also said in today's courier mail that the airline could loose 17,000 jobs within a year if the industrial action continues.

A day after his pay rise was approved by the shareholders... Coincidence?

All employees covered under the Unions have been 'locked out' according to the press conference

John

From Australian Business Traveller ...

I couldn't believe this when I heard on the radio "Qantas cancelling flights" I thought it was the usual news we've been hearing all week, but then I checked my twitter, and saw qantas announce all flights grounded. Thought it was a joke at first.

Disgusting Alan
Disgusting

I work in the travel industry... (major gulp for the work ahead in the next few days).....

You have to say, this is truly historical, Qantas will either come out of this as the winner, with the unions crushed, or it's game over for Qantas as we know it in it's current form.... either way if you're travelling or planning to travel on Qantas in the immediate future, you're well and truly ****ed

and who thought it could only happen to Tiger :eek:

imho, a very wise move, now Gillard MUST get involved and send all to arbitration

i understand security of employment/staffing levels cannot be referred by the gov't to arbitration, so in end union loses, which is the proper resolution

I don't see the unions just backing down (at least for 24 hours)

crunch...... country grinds to a halt

in so many ways we don't even realise

Joyce has done what he was put in to do.Make jetstar the major company and close down Qantas.

The man is way out of his depth. Handling negotiation like confrontation.

Then again he just getting what he wants. Destroying Qantas and a Australian Icon. It's like a foreign boss coming in and wanting to turn Vegemite Blue.

Unbelievable.

It's Xmas early for Joyce

Pay rise - Check
Giving Qantas a further bad name - Check
Jetstar flights full - Check
Virgin flights full - Check

Now if only he could get 40 x A320's up and running overnight for Jetstar and he'd be laughing

Not that surprising really - its the 98 water front dispute all over again but this time it looks like the government isn't involved. Certainly a game changer and a brave move. Federal Government will need to get invovled now. Hate to be a QANTAS worker or passenger right now.

if only my Christmas present came early

- Get rid of Joyce
- Rebuild QFA to its former glory
- 787's to Qantas

John

John - Indeed

Virgin Australia fares have gone through the roof!!!!!!!

Is the freight that comes into Sydney via SQ/MH/EK/CPA and so on handled by Qantas ground crews? If so are they also locked out...

Is it cheaper to shut down then run with strikes?

On the spotting side of things, expect to see some new liveries on the domestic scene, if this isn't resolved by monday morning.

Virgin are calling on Etihad, Delta & NZ to be ready to send aircraft if required.

Although it is likely that Etihad will do the VA Abu Dhabi run, and Delta all of the trans pac V Australia flights with NZ doing as much of PB's tasman stuff as they can.

This will release the 777's and PB 737's for domestic work.

Also it is the start of the NW schedules so plenty of spare capacity available from Europe as well.

It may release the B777's for domestic work, but I'm not sure there are remote domestic bays available for passenger bussing operations for a B777. Happy to be corrected.



Without knowing any of the ins and outs of the average Qantas worker's current employment conditions, were they really being screwed over by Qantas management in the lead up to this dispute, or are they being unreasonable in what they're asking for? Were things really that bad for the average worker when it appears there are plenty of others seemingly happy with their employment in other ground handling companies (obviously I'm leaving the pilots out of this one)?

Surely it's time for a bit of give and take on both sides before everyone loses everything.

have to be the dumbest CEO in Australia.

TWU - Disrupting Australia

I think the board told AJ to do it for a 71% payrise. The board is the directing, AJ is just the PR man.

Any likelihood of the SYD curfew getting lifted in response to this?? Would seem crazy not to imo.

Curfew won't be lifted.

There are two brand new KC-30's sitting up at Amberly these could be put to good use...

Fortunate that I'm leaving LHR tonight on another carrier , but there again QF were never in the original equation anyway ... wonder why ?.

Dave C

I have a flight with them Monday morning. Fingers crossed.

Hi All,

Any chances of seeing Virgin Atlantic doing ops to/from YMML to assist?

Stuart

Can they seriously get rid of the bloody idiot and get someone who can actually run an airline AKA do a Continental/Gordon Bethune.

What would be the benefit in that? There's less than half the flights in the air without Qantas flying.

If they had to, who would fire the CEO?

the shareholders?

I am just reading the material provided by Qantas at http://www.keepqantasflying.com.au/.

The demands seem to me to be a usual starting point for negotiations from a Union. Where are the current negotations at? Does anyone know?

Qantas are either not negotiating or the unions are not compromising. Either way, can't both sides see the futility of protracted action. The reputational damage and the loss of current patronage is surely damaging both parties.

It reeks of hypocrisy that the CEO gets a nice pay rise but theres' a lock out on anyone else?

What a sad day.

Does anyone know if VA will up their prices???

Prices go up with supply and demand...

As there is now a serious lack of supply and a huge demand prices will go up!

Qantas will be flying again soon though

And Joyce has the cheek to talk about the cost to the carrier, what about the fact that te airline now has to accommodate a few thousand people around the globe?

Meh, knew this was going to happen eventually. For those who are saying, virgin fares going up, well duh, the flights are packed, so they go up!

Bye Bye Qantas.

Just had a look at Virgin flights SYD-MEL and return on Monday 31/10 and the cheapest is $303.50 ,so Virgin will be doing well and 100% loads no doubt.