Singapore_Air From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2000, 13606 posts, RR: 25 Posted (3 years 1 month 2 hours ago) and read 6548 times:
Qantas staff 'interrogated' over joke
A rude joke amongst Qantas cabin crew led to airline management intimidating flight attendants and interrogating them four days after the joke was made, a union says.
"While disembarking our passengers we became aware of managers on the aero-bridge with more and more arriving as we helped wheelchair passengers," the memo says.
"Tired, uninformed and unrepresented, we were isolated in different parts of the aircraft ... and read prepared questions.
The union says it has expressed outrage over the behaviour of management.
"In our view, this type of behaviour is more suited to Stalinist regimes and not modern workplaces," the memo says.
DeltaGator From United States, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 19 Reply 1, posted (3 years 1 month 2 hours ago) and read 6526 times:
Well what the heck was the joke? Must have been a good one if it causes this sort of hubbub.
Quoting Singapore_Air (Thread starter): "In our view, this type of behaviour is more suited to Stalinist regimes and not modern workplaces," the memo says.
Right....let's compare a few Aussie stewardesses/stewards getting questioned about an inappropriate joke on company time to the murder of millions of Russians (and other USSR folks.) Gotta love the union way of thinking about management.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
ahh John Howard's new industrial relations reform hard at work here. QF is one of many Australian companies who approve of these recently introduced reforms
ZKNBX From New Zealand, joined Jul 2006, 464 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 years 1 month 2 hours ago) and read 6482 times:
Australia's unions and QF's industrial relations is its archilles heel. This is where NZ have it over QF, along with flat bed and PPE (pacific premium economy).
Sydscott From Australia, joined Oct 2003, 1628 posts, RR: 6 Reply 6, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 6225 times:
Quoting Singapore_Air (Thread starter): "In our view, this type of behaviour is more suited to Stalinist regimes and not modern workplaces," the memo says.
What total rubbish. An unverified union source is hardly a great source for unbiased information. Yet another post from our friend in Singapore bashing QF. It's not going to get you to LAX.
Quoting VHVXB (Reply 2): ahh John Howard's new industrial relations reform hard at work here. QF is one of many Australian companies who approve of these recently introduced reforms
So what?? Qantas works within the laws of the land just like every other company does. More than likely this is just a leak as part of the ACTU campaign against the government. Qantas, as a supporter, is a natural target for this kind of rumour and innuendo. The fact of the matter is that QF had done this then the union would be jumping up and down and the ACTU would be all over our screens telling us about it. The lack of that happening suggests a storm in a teacup.
Teamspeedy From Australia, joined Aug 2006, 53 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 6176 times:
what people outside Australia wouldn't know is the media have had these types of stories(from all industries) in the news since the industrial relations reform came into effect
Flown on 727,747-200,747-400,757,777,A320,DC10,DC9.MD-80,SB340,CRJ-200,A380
Ruscoe From Australia, joined Aug 1999, 1096 posts, RR: 3 Reply 8, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 6157 times:
It's these industrial reforms of John Howards which will ensure the Union Members have jobs to whinge about.
God help us all if we went down the Union preferred European path, with millions of workers in countries north of us who are increasingly well educated and skilled, and who will work for a month for the pay an Australian gets in a day.
SATX From United States, joined Apr 2005, 2836 posts, RR: 10 Reply 9, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 6126 times:
John Howard didn't really seem like a stand-up guy to me before all of this. Say what you will about unions, but some days I wish I had one. I've seen management treat fellow employees like shit before and there was nothing they could do about it to my knowledge. I don't tend to get into fights with management, but if I ever did I'd like to know there was somebody on my side just in case I ever needed some help.
If you really want more of the same, then by all means keep voting for the Grand Oil Party.
Simes From Australia, joined May 2005, 31 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 5929 times:
Airline aside, it's disgusting that things have reached this level, I have no issue with management wanting to find out what happened, but they didn't give the FA's time to organise someone to support them if they wanted it.
Quoting Ruscoe (Reply 8): It's these industrial reforms of John Howards which will ensure the Union Members have jobs to whinge about.
God help us all if we went down the Union preferred European path, with millions of workers in countries north of us who are increasingly well educated and skilled, and who will work for a month for the pay an Australian gets in a day.
We'll never be able to compete with the likes of China and India, even if we did lower ourselves to their level. 1 and 3 billion vs 20 million, they'll have it over us anyday....
ANstar From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 3364 posts, RR: 6 Reply 13, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 5793 times:
I don;t really see what the big deal is. If the FA's acted inappropriately, surely QF is in it's right to speak to their employee's about the incident?
this would have been the first available time that their managers could have spoken to them and likely the only time they would all have been in the same place for some time to come!
In the real world we don;t all have union reps to hold our hands when our boss wants to have a word!
Ken777 From United States, joined Mar 2004, 2867 posts, RR: 12 Reply 14, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 5779 times:
Considering that the only problems I have had with QF over the past 30 years has been with some rather ignorant mid-level managers I would guess that this is the same situation. I still shake my head at how dumb and arrogant some of these yo-yos can be.
Lightsaber From United States, joined Jan 2005, 5179 posts, RR: 86 Reply 15, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 5303 times:
Quoting Singapore_Air (Thread starter):
A rude joke amongst Qantas cabin crew led to airline management intimidating flight attendants and interrogating them four days after the joke was made, a union says.
If the joke was of a type that would get QF sued... bad news. Companies cannot be as patient as they used to be. Sorry if the crew doesn't like that; its the lawsuit happy world we live in.
I don't see why the Stalanist headline? Are tens of millions going to die? Nyet.
Why it gets people to read the article, it doesn't form support. Were crew manhandled? Did anything happen besides a snap interview? Seriously. Legally, QF might have just needed to no the truth after a passanger compaint. What action was taken with the interview information?
Lufthansa From Christmas Island, joined May 1999, 2261 posts, RR: 11 Reply 17, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 4647 times:
SingaporeAir,
This is simply unbelivable from you. SIA, the wonderful airline that it is, is also the same company that has pentalties in place for FA's found to be having their zipper in the wrong position. Compared to that how on earth can anyone in their right mind suggest Qantas is Stalinist?
Look boy, i've got one piece of advice for you. Get on the pro-SIA/QF merger camp. You'll kill two birds with one stone. Also i might point out, everytime SIA's supportors take a loverly swip at Australia and Australians, they are taking a swipe at one of their most important, highest spending and most loyal customer bases. HOW MANY RICH BITCHES who live in Toorak or on the north shore with views of the opera house take SIA's spacebed to Europe about 3 or 4 times a year? YES PLENTY!!!!! don't forget that. SIA hasn't. you shouldn't either before you take a swipe at us all.
If you have a problem with the news article, please direct your tirade at news.sydney@aap.com.au
If you want to comment on the memo issued by the Flight Attendants' Association of Australia, specifically the line "In our view, this type of behaviour is more suited to Stalinist regimes and not modern workplaces,", you can contact them at info@faaadomestic.org.au
This thread is about news reported by an Australian news agency. Your advice has been taken into consideration.
01 OCTOBER 2009: This user has retired from aviation to the status of lurker. Thanks Airliners.net for some great times
F22KA From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3829 times:
...Stalinist regime... blah blah blah...
Singapore_Air, if you had any knowledge about Stalin you might not associate him with QF.
Stalin was a sick lefty who killed millions. I find your comparison quite ridiculous.
It isn't the thread starters comparison. If you bothered to read the post, you'd find it was in a memo issued by the Flight Attendants Association Of Australia.
Airbear From Australia, joined May 2001, 572 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 3572 times:
Not that I doubt the story for one second, QF as an organisation being what it is, but still ... an Australian Union accusing a company's management of acting "Stalinist" ?? That's rich, coming from an affiliate of the ACTU !!
Qfsis From Australia, joined Feb 2006, 19 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (3 years 4 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 725 times:
Quoting ANstar (Reply 13): In the real world we don;t all have union reps to hold our hands when our boss wants to have a word!
But we are still (legally) entitled to it ... This is one of the things that Mr. Howard wants to eradicate; one of the reasons that the Unions and staff are "up in arms" about and the reason that this whole issue has been compared to the Stalinist regime.
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