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A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:02 pm
by Sojourner
No doubt many people would be aware of the recent announcement that Qantas are grounding their fleet and leaving a number of people stranded and to make their own arrangements with other carriers from 8pm on Monday night. There seems to be massive amount of accusations going backward and forwards and I would like to put in my 2c with the rest.

I think people should firstly wake up and realise who the real culprits are in this and its neither the Unions nor the Executive Management of Qantas....

How many people have stopped to ponder why it is that Inflation in Australia is a whopping 3.6%..... That figure should be between 0.6 and 1%

Gillard's ALP Government have gone out on a massive spending spree paying for various State Government responsibilities such as rebuilding the Hobart Hospital and various other projects to buy votes. ALP State Governments have ramped Taxes, Levies and Charges through the roof. ALP Governments have happily given the all clear to Electricity price increases and created as situation where the working poor fund by levy the wealthy to access Solar Panels. Private Health Care has again been Greenlighted to increase yet again by the Federal Government. Economists are quick to tell you that the current Inflation figure is due to Government Fees and Charges being blown through the roof. South Australia alone has the highest Car Registrations and Water Bills (recently Doubled) along with additional "Levies" being the Save the Murray Levy and the Emergency Services Levy. As well as the biggest plummeting rate of public housing after its all being sold off down the drain.

Its not unreasonable for Employees to ask for a pay rise to keep up with inflation. Neither is is unreasonable for Private Companies to be able to do their business in a normal inflation band. What they are offering in terms of a pay rise would be very generous if Gillard and co had not screwed this country over and destroyed the economy with massive inflationary increases.

Gillard wanted to be Prime Minister and did what she could to get the job, now I don't think its unreasonable to see some leadership from her over a situation that her government has thrown plenty on the fire to aid and to abet the problem. I have a suspicion that she wont be doing anything any time soon however.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:14 pm
by redandblack
FFS Sojourner, you're usualy worth reading, but that's the biggest load of frogshit you've ever posted here.

Your comments on inflation are just silly and your reasons are wrong.

Interest rates have been on hold for nearly a year and might get cut next week. Our economy is the envy of the world, so can you tell us how the country is being 'ruined'.

Take off the blinkers.

Inflation should be .6%???

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:18 pm
by Sojourner
Outside of government spending what is going up? Statistically prices on various items at Coles are cheaper than a year ago, Car prices are coming down due to pressure from Chinese imports. Retaillers are cutting prices to get sales in competition with Internet Sales. The Australian Dollar buys more Petrol per barrel than ever before....

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:18 pm
by once_were_warriors
I think you will find if you target .6% inflation then all you will get is stagnation and a recession.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:32 pm
by redandblack
S, can you recall any time at all in Australia when inflation was less than 1% pa?

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:32 pm
by Sojourner
Rather than split hairs over what people feel the inflation figure should be, lets hear some opinions then on why the current situation has occured with Qantas....

Who is "in the right", the worker or the company?

Is Joyce right to take the action that he is?

What is your solution?

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:35 pm
by redandblack
S, you raised the topic of inflation as a core issue.

This has been pre-planned. There has been very little strike action at all and it's a nasty over-the-top action by a CEO who has just had a 70% pay increase.

One law for the top end of town, another for the workers, but let's just bash the unions.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:36 pm
by DOC
Almost none if not all of your'e first post relates to Qantas at all.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:37 pm
by Sojourner
Stiill, am more than happy to take back the figure of 0.6-1%, My point is that 3.6% is much higher than what should be the target band of inflation. Again I don't think its unreasonable for people to request a pay rise in line with inflation and I think its the responsibility of Governments to control it accordingly.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:39 pm
by Sojourner
I must say the 70% pay increase for the CEO is a little surprising, yes they have made a profit, yet they seem to most years anyway - what have their returns been like to shareholders, my mail is not great, so I am interested to know why they think its deserved considering 97% of shareholders voted in favour of it.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:42 pm
by redandblack
Make up your mind, Sojourner, do you want to talk about inflation or Qantas? ;)

When I see actions like this, I get more supportive of the 'Occupy Wall Street" movement.

If you're talikng inflation, the Government has an excellent record and all the economic indicators are very good,

I'm still waiting to be told how they are "ruining the country", or is that just an automatic regurgitation from Alan Jones and Andrew Bolt?

PS: they haven't paid their shareholders a dividend for about 2 years, but made $500 million last year.

They want to pay Asian wages, in a nutshell.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:53 pm
by Sojourner
redandblack wrote:Make up your mind, Sojourner, do you want to talk about inflation or Qantas? ;)

When I see actions like this, I get more supportive of the 'Occupy Wall Street" movement.

If you're talikng inflation, the Government has an excellent record and all the economic indicators are very good,

I'm still waiting to be told how they are "ruining the country", or is that just an automatic regurgitation from Alan Jones and Andrew Bolt?

PS: they haven't paid their shareholders a dividend for about 2 years, but made $500 million last year.

They want to pay Asian wages, in a nutshell.


Here are the last 3 years worth of pay increases at the firm I work for,

2009 - 3%

2010 - 0%

2011 - 2.5%

At an average of 3.6% I have the fortune of now earning less than what I did three years ago, less funds yet things cost more. I consider that well and truly ruining the country! - Its not just us, plenty of other places around Adelaide have had no pay increase at all or a very minor increase just to keep them going.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:55 pm
by once_were_warriors
Sojourner wrote:I must say the 70% pay increase for the CEO is a little surprising, yes they have made a profit, yet they seem to most years anyway - what have their returns been like to shareholders, my mail is not great, so I am interested to know why they think its deserved considering 97% of shareholders voted in favour of it.



Haven't returned a dividend for nearly three years.

For Joyce to get a big pay increase whilst denying those that seek one just adds jet fuel to the fire.

Anyway Joyce is going to Woolworths, so this is all for nothing.

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:19 pm
by redandblack
I'm a bit confused with your argument, mate.

You're saying that costs have gone up and wages aren't keeping up, but you're against the unions asking for more pay for their workers to keep up :?

Meanwhile, unemployment is lower than 2007, inflation is similar, interest rates are much less and growth is good, but the Government is ruining the country :?

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:24 pm
by Sojourner
redandblack wrote:I'm a bit confused with your argument, mate.

You're saying that costs have gone up and wages aren't keeping up, but you're against the unions asking for more pay for their workers to keep up :?

Meanwhile, unemployment is lower than 2007, inflation is similar, interest rates are much less and growth is good, but the Government is ruining the country :?


I am absolutely not against employees asking for a pay rise in line with inflation, I very much support them in their claim!

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:26 pm
by Sojourner
Still I notice that Bob Brown wants Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to sort it out - I can see the case for Gillard to be involved, but what does Abbott have to do with it?


http://bob-brown.greensmps.org.au/conte ... joyce-line

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:39 pm
by redandblack
You're right, S, you haven't argued against the unions, my mistake.

On the subject of spending, though, you raise the question of the Hobart hospital.

IIRC, Mr Abbott offered Mr Wilkie a billion dollars for it, more than double what the PM did.

That would have ruined the country twice as fast :D

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:53 pm
by Sojourner
redandblack wrote:You're right, S, you haven't argued against the unions, my mistake.

On the subject of spending, though, you raise the question of the Hobart hospital.

IIRC, Mr Abbott offered Mr Wilkie a billion dollars for it, more than double what the PM did.

That would have ruined the country twice as fast :D


I think that is correct weight also, naturally I am getting well of the subject, but I don't just wonder if towards the end of the election cycle if Turnbull and Rudd will both suddenly make an appearance!

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 1:22 am
by dedja
Sojourner wrote:No doubt many people would be aware of the recent announcement that Qantas are grounding their fleet and leaving a number of people stranded and to make their own arrangements with other carriers from 8pm on Monday night. There seems to be massive amount of accusations going backward and forwards and I would like to put in my 2c with the rest.

I think people should firstly wake up and realise who the real culprits are in this and its neither the Unions nor the Executive Management of Qantas....

How many people have stopped to ponder why it is that Inflation in Australia is a whopping 3.6%..... That figure should be between 0.6 and 1%

Gillard's ALP Government have gone out on a massive spending spree paying for various State Government responsibilities such as rebuilding the Hobart Hospital and various other projects to buy votes. ALP State Governments have ramped Taxes, Levies and Charges through the roof. ALP Governments have happily given the all clear to Electricity price increases and created as situation where the working poor fund by levy the wealthy to access Solar Panels. Private Health Care has again been Greenlighted to increase yet again by the Federal Government. Economists are quick to tell you that the current Inflation figure is due to Government Fees and Charges being blown through the roof. South Australia alone has the highest Car Registrations and Water Bills (recently Doubled) along with additional "Levies" being the Save the Murray Levy and the Emergency Services Levy. As well as the biggest plummeting rate of public housing after its all being sold off down the drain.

Its not unreasonable for Employees to ask for a pay rise to keep up with inflation. Neither is is unreasonable for Private Companies to be able to do their business in a normal inflation band. What they are offering in terms of a pay rise would be very generous if Gillard and co had not screwed this country over and destroyed the economy with massive inflationary increases.

Gillard wanted to be Prime Minister and did what she could to get the job, now I don't think its unreasonable to see some leadership from her over a situation that her government has thrown plenty on the fire to aid and to abet the problem. I have a suspicion that she wont be doing anything any time soon however.


Congratulations ... you have managed the previously impossible feat of starting a topic and then taking it off-topic in the first post of that thread.

Very impressive indeed ... :lol:

Re: A few thoughts on Qantas

PostPosted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:45 am
by Sojourner
:shock: