President’s Opinion

We’re already into the fifth month of the year and 2011 is certainly flying ahead, with work at the ALAEA a constant stream of enterprise agreements and Fair Work Australia hearings.

A recent decision in FWA against International Aviation Service Assistance involved the ALAEA representing member Djoko Puspitano, a 457 visa holder who entered this country to work specifically for IASA and was treated in a shocking manner, even to the point of being physically assaulted at work and having the employer pursue him for having ‘provoked’ the altercation by his use of a computer to enter Cabin/IFE coupons.

The resultant guilty verdict against IASA saw them being forced to pay out $85,000 in damages. This case proves once again that it is all too valuable to belong to a union that fights for your rights in the workplace.

The CASA changes are still providing headaches, with many LAMEs around the country still waiting to receive their ‘new’ Licence privileges, myself included. When I enquired as to when they would be delivered the answer was ‘soon’.

Tiger Airways has been given a ‘show cause’ notice from CASA, but despite assurances from the airline (which is backed by Singapore Airlines) that safety is a priority, the last time an airline was delivered such a notice was when Ansett Airlines was asked to explain several maintenance anomalies in its system.  Inside word is that there were several flap overspeed landings, some up to 40 knots, and the subsequent maintenance checks required after such a strenuous landings are at the centre of the investigation.

Tuesday 24 May is the celebration of the birthday of the Wright brother’s ‘Mechanician’ Charles E Taylor, an occassion celebrated in the United States as a national day of recognition for all aircraft mechanics and technicians.  It is endorsed by the US senate and seen nationwide as a celebration of a much respected but often maligned profession.  We have been urged by the instigator and much driven Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) director Ken MacTiernan to find our own Charles E Taylor and celebrate with all aircraft engineers across the globe.  To those ends, if anyone has information that will enable the ALAEA to find this long lost individual, or perhaps individuals, please contact me via email fedpres@alaea.asn.au.

Keep Safe,
Paul Cousins, Federal President

DOWNLOAD A PDF COPY OF E-TORQUE HERE