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Due to the volatile industrial climate, created by wage restraint, restructuring and the continuing saga of the pilots’ dispute, the ALAEA address was one of considerable substance and was well received by all delegates to the seminar.

Pilots Dispute Update

The ‘Senate Select Committee into certain aspects of the Pilots’ Dispute’, released an interim report mid January which featured submissions made on behalf of the ALAEA by Mr John Alldis (Federal Executive).

Terms of reference included “the extent to which air safety may have been affected”.

Although only an interim report, the committee has concluded “that the Australian Airline system has not been made unsafe by changes made due to the Airline Pilot Dispute. ” It further concluded that “before the dispute the system operated with a considerable margin of safety. The committee is not able at this stage to offer any conclusions on the question, whether there has been any erosion of this margin of safety, due to the dispute. ”

Senators MacGibbon (Liberal) and Brownhill (NP) also released a Minority Interim Report dissenting from certain aspects of the majority report.

A final report is due to be delivered by the end of February.

Alaea Operations

The by-products of the Pilots’ Dispute, deregulation, privatisation, restructuring and the multitude of other industrial and licensing issues will ensure the next few years will be a trying time for the ALAEA.

In an effort to maintain the service that members expect and improve communication within the association, the Executive has engaged an additional Industrial/Research Officer, Richard Coleman. Richard, originally with the Musicians Union has formal industrial relations qualifications and extensive r,egotiating and Commission experience.

Although the Association is a relatively small union in comparison to others, it’s membership is dispersed over an enormous area. This creates a logistical nightmare when trying to adequately service the membership and provide effective communications.

The long term success of the Association relies heavily on the network of shop floor representatives. However it would seem that some areas are lacking in representatives.

Any members wishing to become representatives, should contact their local Executive Member or our Sydney office.