A PILOTS PERSPECTIVE OF THE

1989 AUSTRALIAN PILOTS DISPUTE

INTRODUCTION

An aviation safety article

Author: Alex Paterson

MASTER INDEX of articles written, posted online or recommended by Alex Paterson

INTRODUCTION

On the 18th of August 1989, the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) embarked on an industrial campaign ostensibly in support of a 29.47% pay claim. As part of this campaign, AFAP Pilots imposed on their employers (Ansett, East West, Ipec and Australian Airlines) a limitation on the hours they were prepared to work in the form of only making themselves available for flying duties within the normal office working hours of 9am to 5pm.

This action precipitated one of the worst and most expensive industrial disputes in Australia's history, now known as the 'PILOTS DISPUTE' of 1989.

The Dispute has been conservatively estimated to have cost the Australian economy well over a billion dollars and resulted in the loss of many thousands of jobs associated with the demise of the many businesses indirectly affected.

The Dispute was a significant factor causing Australia to plunge into recession nearly two years earlier than its trading partners during the early 1990s.

The Dispute, which has never been resolved, has resulted in nearly 80 % of the pilots involved not returning to their former positions, despite the pay rise allegedly causing the Dispute being well and truly met. This being the case, a number of key questions need to be answered :

• What was the real agenda behind the Dispute?
• How did the Dispute effect the Profession of Airline Pilot?
• What are the long term ramifications of the Dispute in regards to airline safety?

The following is a pilot's perspective of the real causes of the Dispute and the reasons why the vast majority of the pilots involved were unable to return to their former positions.

PILOTS DISPUTE INDEX

THE AUSTRALIAN PILOTS' DISPUTE OF 1989 (190k) consists of:-

• Introduction.
• Overview.
• The Formation of Sir Peter Abeles' Alliance.
• The Role of Sir Peter Abeles.
• Sir Peter Abeles' Suspected Real Agenda.
• Sir Peter Abeles' Contempt for the Profession of Airline Pilot.
• Sir Peter Abeles' Early Planning for the Dispute.
• The Role of the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC).
• The Role of Bill Kelty and the ACTU.
• The Role of Bob Hawke.
• The Role of the Pilots who Scabbed.
• The Role of the CAA.
• The Events Preceding the Dispute.
• Abeles final meeting with pilots.
• The Pilots' Resignations.
• Analysis of the Pilots' Pay Claim.
• The Hidden Pay Rise in the Individual Contracts.
• Analysis of the Individual Contracts.
• The Profession of Airline Pilot.
• External Factors Contributing to Airline Disasters.
• The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP)
• Mistakes Made by the Pilots.
• Conclusion.
• About the Author.
• Copyright.

APPENDICES (200k) consists of:-

• Appendix 1. The Minutes of the Meeting in Hawke's Office on 15 Aug 1989.
• Appendix 2. Ansett Airlines' 'Notice to Pilots'.
• Appendix 3. The East-West BAe 146 Hamilton Island Incident of 1991.
• Appendix 4. The Ansett B-747 Incident of 19 Oct 1994
• Appendix 5. International Comparison of Airline Pilots' Pay Rates.
• Appendix 6. Examples of Pre-Dispute Pilot Rosters.
• Appendix 7. Captain Dick Holt's Assessment of the Individual Contracts.
• Appendix 8. IRC Deputy President Hancock's S118 Decision.
• Appendix 9. Dispute Chronology.
• Appendix 10. A Short History of the Pilots' Federation by Capt Dick Holt.
• Appendix 11. Airline Incidents in Australia since 1989.

ABOUT Alex PATERSON

Alex Paterson is an ex Ansett pilot who resigned his position along with most of his colleagues in August 1989 associated with the Australian Pilots' Dispute of that year.

At the time of the Dispute he was a newly elected member of the AFAP executive and although he had little influence over the major decisions pertaining to the same, he played a significant role in the day to day running of the Dispute as it unfolded. This role provided him with a rare inside view of the Dispute from a pilot's perspective.

The author can be contacted at email:

Photograph of Alex Paterson

COPYRIGHT

The document 'A Pilot's Perspective of the 1989 Australian Pilots' Dispute' is the Copyright © of the author, Alex Paterson. All rights reserved by the author. Not withstanding this, the document may be reproduced and disseminated without the express permission of the author so long as reference to the author is made, no alterations are made to the document and no money is charged for it.

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