A comparative analysis of restructuring employment relationships inQantas and Aer Lingus: different routes, similar destinations

摘要

This paper examines the experiences of Qantas and Aer Lingus. The two companieshave a shared history as national, 'legacy' (full-service) carriers and strategicallyimportant, 'benevolent' employers. More recently, both airlines have been forced tochange in the face of competition from low cost carriers (LCCs) and external threatsto their existence. In this paper, we examine how the two airlines have reacted to thesepressures. We look at the role played by institutional frameworks and competitivecircumstances in determining industrial relations strategies. The entry of LCCsand changes (or potential changes) to ownership structures through privatization andtakeover bids have led to downward pressure on pay and conditions at both airlines.Accordingly, a key issue considered is whether a collectivist model of employmentrelations can survive in the face of low cost competition.