QR's Caring Sharing Management

[wakbaralwaker]

You just have to love the wonderful management folk in QR flight operations. What a caring sharing and considerate bunch they are. When they are not consumed by their own self importance and internecine feuding they take a bit of time out to thoroughly shaft the pilots in right royal style, a sport mainly perpetrated by those so hungry for the soon to be vacant EVPO ‘hot seat’ they will stop at nothing in order to impress the Overload on the 9th floor that they are tough and hard enough.

Let’s have a look at the recent history.....

The roster bidding system for all its apparent faults, has effectively been hijacked by BM (HaM) in the name of the Overlord, in particular the interference to the pilots’ ability to bid for a run of consecutive days off that would allow them to have a life. An essential lifeline for those that have lives beyond the shores of Qatar, but now messed up because 3 DOs is the max allowed in one block. Hence the March rosters are effectively ruined for a huge number of pilots because anywhere that a run of more than 3 DOs could have been given it is deliberately spoiled by the insertion of a SBY or a TBN, even when there is already plenty of SBY cover. SBYs and TBNs are also used as general flillers once all the work is covered and each pilot is allocated the legal minimum DOs. This is done on a wholesale basis even though manpower levels could easily allow more than the minimum DOs to be allocated and give the operation more than adequate SBY cover.

What is even more galling about all of this is that the staff have been instructed to state that ‘system error’ is the reason for the max of 3 DOs. An insult to the intelligence, but as usual any ‘bad news’ connected to the Overlord is massaged and some other BS reason is given. How many of the FOs have been told the real reason their command upgrade is mysteriously blocked when all other aspects of their files are in order?

The reason for all this is nothing short of a spiteful and contemptuous attitude that the Overlord and his lackey henchmen hold towards the 1300 or so pilots that QR now ‘employs’.

The ‘caring sharing’ attitude just oozes out of every pore.... look no further that the recent crop of FCNs that threaten disciplinary action, or otherwise use appalling tones and thinly veiled threats.

Let’s look at some examples:-



PILOTS SICK LEAVE

All Pilots must submit a sick note for any sick leave taken, even if it is for only one (1) day. If a sick note from a Company approved Hospital/Clinic has not been provided within three (3) office working days after reporting for duty, then the sick leave will not be paid and may lead to disciplinary action.

If a Pilot is absent from work without obtaining a valid Medical Certificate, it will be considered Unpaid Leave. Pilots must present the Medical Certificate to the respective Fleet Secretary for processing and filing.

For clarification purposes, the following process must be followed:


Upon return to duty, the Pilot must present the original of the Medical Certificate to the respective Fleet Secretary within three (3) office working days
The Fleet Secretary will stamp, date and sign the original Medical Certificate and give a copy to the Pilot for future reference.
Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.
If a Medical Certificate has not been received by the Fleet Secretary within three (3) office working days after the Pilot has returned to duty, a note will be put in AIMS as a final reminder to present the Medical Certificate within the following 3 days.
Medical Certificates will be sent to QRMC for validation, if not issued by them.
If QRMC does not validate the time as recorded in the Medical Certificate, or validates only part of it, they will inform HR to correct the files and process the new information as per Company Policies and Procedures, and send a copy of the validated Medical Certificate to the respective Fleet Secretary for filing.
The Fleet Secretary will inform the Pilot concerned of the change of QRMC validation of the Medical Certificate.
It is Pilot’s responsibility to inform the crewing as soon as he/she falls sick and is unable to undertake his/her rostered duty.
As per current Company Policy, medical leave entitlement is as follows:
14 days: full pay
28 days: half pay (50% of basic pay, license pay, transport allowance, acting allowance, personal differential pay and special allowance)
42 days No pay sick leave: (as defined by HR Policy)

Note:
1. Medical leave may not be accrued from year to year, nor may it be encashed.
2. Staff privileges cannot be used by employees whilst on Medical Leave.


WTF!? Clearly the burden of proof is slapped straight onto the head of the pilot who is not an individual that, after recovering from an illness, is to be treated with any respect, trust or compassion. Any failure in the process may lead to discipline and/ or loss of pay or leave – and the key point here is that this will be done with no due process whatsoever – no hearing, or opportunity to put your side of the story.

CONTACT DURING STANDBY

The onus of being contactable while on standby is the responsibility of the individual crewmember on standby. Answering Machines or Messenger Services are not acceptable during Standby period.
Crew wishing to leave their place of rest while on standby, must first contact Crew Controllers for such approval.
Disciplinary action and/or pay deduction may be applied to the individual Crewmember that is not contactable during the stand by time.


You have to love this one, again its brevity and naked menacing tone remind us all that we are so valued by the management. This is a completely unacceptable curtailment of freedom and effectively renders each pilot under house arrest during the SBY (unless of course we ask crew control for ‘permission’) and unable use normal modern techniques such as an voicemail to remain contactable at moments when a phone cannot physically be in your hand. If any attempt by crew control to contact a pilot fails for an innocent reason, he is presumed to be ‘non-contactable’ and reported, potentially leading to disciplinary sanction and/or loss of pay. If the crewing officer on the day is lazy and hangs up before you get to answer the phone then you have had it.

MAINTAINING OF RECENCY (REVISED)

This is to remind all Flight Crew to ensure that all recency requirements are observed and kept valid. Although assistance is provided via the AIMS system, it is the responsibility of each Flight Crew member to ensure that all licensing requirements are met and maintained. Detailed information can be found in OM A, Chapter 5. In the meantime we need to conduct an audit on all Flight Crew to track recency and to update the records of every Pilot in order to avoid any roster disruptions.

Therefore, all Pilots are required to do the following:

1. Log on to AIMS.
2. Open Expiry Dates Icon.
3. Print the list and verify that all the dates are correct by initialling against each
date and hand it to your Fleet Secretary.
4. In case of any discrepancy, please bring the original document and hand it to your Fleet Secretary with the Expiry Dates list, the Fleet Secretary will make a copy and will hand you the original document with a copy of the Expiry Dates list for future reference.
5. The Fleet Secretary will keep a record and give the corrected copy to the Fleet Coordinator for updating the records and necessary follow up.


What a relief that this time disciplinary action is not mentioned. However the thinly veiled threat remains... it’s the pilots’ problem and the company has now abrogated its responsibilities in this area despite clear QCARs/ JARs in force that places clear operator responsibility to ensure that all crew are properly trained and licensed before they operate. An operator must set up and maintain systems that accurately store and track every element of crews’ qualification and training. The history behind this one is a series of balls ups where pilots flew out of check or with other bits and pieces lapsed (eg SEP) all due to sloppy or non-existent company systems and procedures. After various failed remedies the company takes the easy route and makes the pilot himself responsible.

CAFETERIA – FLIGHT OPS / TECHNICAL BUILDING
PAGE 1 of 1
We are pleased to advise that all Flight Operation / Technical staff can use the
Cafeteria facilities, which is functional effective 16-02-10 at the Flight Ops/Technical
Building during the following off-peak hours ONLY:

Morning: 0800 to 1000 hrs
Afternoon: 1400 to 1600 hrs
Night: 2100 to 2200 hrs

Due to space and time limitation, staff/s are advised to limit their visit to not more than 15 minutes as we would like all staff to get an equal opportunity to use this facility. Continuity of this facility is dependent on sensible usage, staff/s found misusing this privilege will have their access to the cafeteria removed permanently; and furthermore, this could even lead to a disciplinary action taken against the concerned individual. Staff/s are required to strictly adhere to the rules mentioned below:

1. Maintain SILENCE while traversing through the corridor going towards the cafeteria as the cabin crew briefing rooms are located in this area.
2. If the cafeteria is completely occupied, staff/s are advised NOT TO WAIT in the corridor but to return to their seats.
This facility is a privilege therefore please do not abuse it.


I saved the best until last – let’s be honest this one takes the biscuit. Even with the simple introduction of a long awaited canteen (at a building where some 5000 aircrew hitherto had no ability to purchase hot/ cold beverages or food/ snacks) the all embracing caring sharing tone is used to the max – not! The look of astonishment of the faces of colleagues reading this for the first time is a picture in itself. Enuff said! To add to insult to injury not a single manager will stand up and be counted for any of these FCNs – not a single signature to be seen in the entire FCN listing hence to the reader no clue as to who prepared it or who approved it. Amazing that the QCAA allow this practice. Alas accountability is not something that is even remotely understood by the incumbent managers in flight ops.

Just for a bit of fun and as a post script, check out this ‘beaut’ of an email that was sent to the entire QR distribution list:-

Dear All,

Further to our circular dated 24th March 2009 and email dated 03rd December 2009, please be reminded that all staff who possess vehicles are hereby strictly requested to park their vehicles only at the Car Park reserved for QR staff situated behind Khawla Gardens, (Opposite Villa 34) and not to park their vehicles at the front entrance to the QR Tower as this parking space is strictly reserved for customers who visit QRH & Ticketing Office.

With immediate effect, strict disciplinary action will be initiated by HR against staff members who park their vehicles at the front entrance which would create hindrance to our customers.


At least the author (top HR stooge) had the decency to sign it but once again we see that the iron fist is right behind every word. Never mind that fact that the strip of parking spaces in question is 'general parking' and does not belong to QR – but let us not be concerned with little details like this.

Wakbar

[Captain Oryx]

wbw,

Sorry to hear your plan to commute has gone awry. Perhaps you missed the "no commuting" part of the pilot recruitment presentation. FWIW, I do think the arbitrary restriction to number of consecutive off days was a bit of an overreaction.

Sick leave- Not sure how many contract/expat jobs you've had, the requirement for a written medical excuse is more common than not. The fact that discipline is mentioned certainly leaves no doubt as to the companies position on unexcused absences.

Contact during Standby- No prohibition of mobile phones. You just need to answer them. "Unacceptable curtailment of freedom", "house arrest" bit of a flair for the dramatic don't you think? Your on "standby", different airlines operate it differently.

Maintaining of recency- The company recognized a problem and took corrective action. (the audit) We don't know what other action was taken to ensure compliance.

Cafeteria- For those who have not visited said cafeteria, the room is small, they don't want classes disrupted with chatter in the hall. Priority is given to those in the classes, primarily cabin crew, so 5 minute breaks don't turn into 20 min.

Finally,
Parking in front of the tower- Yes it's general parking, mgt. wants priority given to customers. I have no problem with that.

wbw,
I would like to invite your response to the following question. Can you name one airline that is currently hiring pilots that would allow you to do all the items mentioned in the manner you see fit?

Cheers

[EFC 3 DAYS]

Captain Oryx may I suggest you look up the term Stockholm Syndrome for I believe you suffer from it......

[Captain Oryx]

BP,

And you would know this, how Dr.?:8

Better yet, perhaps you can answer my question at the end of my post.

Enquiring minds and all that.

[EFC 3 DAYS]

Oryx, one cannot explain to a sufferer of Stockholm Syndrome that they are indeed suffering from said condition. Suffice as to say that you are suffering and I believe that your condition will continue to worsen so long as you believe that the working conditions at Qatar are acceptable in todays work enviornment.
Stockholm Syndrome..... see below....

While there is still disagreement as to what factors characterize incidents that contribute to the development of Stockholm syndrome, research has suggested that hostages may exhibit the condition in situations that feature captors who do not abuse (http://www.pprune.org/wiki/Abuse) the victim, a long duration before resolution, continued contact between the perpetrator and hostage, and a high level of emotion. In fact, experts have concluded that the intensity, not the length of the incident, combined with a lack of physical abuse (http://www.pprune.org/wiki/Physical_abuse) more likely will create favorable conditions for the development of Stockholm syndrome.[1] (http://www.pprune.org/#cite_note-FBI_bulletin-0)
The following are viewed as the conditions necessary for Stockholm syndrome to occur.

Hostages who develop Stockholm syndrome often view the perpetrator as giving life by simply not taking it. In this sense, the captor becomes the person in control of the captive’s basic needs for survival and the victim’s life itself.[1] (http://www.pprune.org/#cite_note-FBI_bulletin-0)
The hostage endures isolation from other people and has only the captor’s perspective available. Perpetrators routinely keep information about the outside world’s response to their actions from captives to keep them totally dependent.[1] (http://www.pprune.org/#cite_note-FBI_bulletin-0)
The hostage taker threatens to kill the victim and gives the perception of having the capability to do so. The captive judges it safer to align with the perpetrator, endure the hardship of captivity, and comply with the captor than to resist and face murder.[1] (http://www.pprune.org/#cite_note-FBI_bulletin-0)
The captive sees the perpetrator as showing some degree of kindness. Kindness serves as the cornerstone of Stockholm syndrome; the condition will not develop unless the captor exhibits it in some form toward the hostage. However, captives often misinterpret a lack of abuse as kindness and may develop feelings of appreciation for this perceived benevolence. If the captor is purely evil and abusive, the hostage will respond with hatred. But, if perpetrators show some kindness, victims will submerge the anger they feel in response to the terror and concentrate on the captors’ “good side” to protect themselves.[1] (http://www.pprune.org/#cite_note-FBI_bulletin-0)In cases where Stockholm syndrome has occurred, the captive is in a situation where the captor has stripped nearly all forms of independence and gained control of the victim’s life, as well as basic needs for survival. Some experts say that the hostage regresses to, perhaps, a state of infancy; the captive must cry for food, remain silent, and exist in an extreme state of dependence. In contrast, the perpetrator serves as a mother figure protecting her child from a threatening outside world, including law enforcement’s deadly weapons. The victim then begins a struggle for survival, both relying on and identifying with the captor. Possibly, hostages’ motivation to live outweighs their impulse to hate the person who created their dilemma.[1] (http://www.pprune.org/#cite_note-FBI_bulletin-0)[6] (http://www.pprune.org/#cite_note-5)
In many cases, capture may also involve the killing (or threat of killing) of the captive's relatives, thereby isolating the captive. The captive is subjected to isolation and so sees even a small act, such as providing amenities, as a great favour. Such captives may side with their captors while believing their captors have conferred on them great importance and love. Furthermore, captives who perceive themselves as the only members of their group not to have been killed may believe that they have been shown a special interest.[citation needed (http://www.pprune.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]

[Captain Oryx]

Thank you, Dr.:rolleyes:

I admire your research, perhaps you could answer the question I posed. I will reprint it below to save you the trouble of having to look it up.

"Can you name one airline that is currently hiring pilots that would allow you to do all the items mentioned in the manner you see fit?"

Cheers:}

[Fubaliera]

EFC, chill out, Captain Oryz is a managment/managment wanna be/Instructor from a third world country. Nobody from Europe/Australia/Canada/US or with a western educated mentality would ever defend QR in the way he does.

[QREscape-plan]

Im afraid Oryx that you are in the tiniest minority if you think the behaviour of the management is acceptable. Whether pilots, cabin crew, engineers or office staff the vast, vast majority of the people here are miserable, afraid and downtrodden.

Miserable because on our days off we have to spend them stuck in a country whose native population seems devoid of any empathy or compassion to their fellow human beings who are here simply trying to work for their families. Their only pleasure seems to be the sport of trying to drive as dangerously and inconsiderately as possible in white landcruisers irrespective of whether the fellow road users are women with a car full of children on the school run.

Miserable because as most locals are too lazy, arrogant or simply stupid to fly modern aircraft, ex-pats are brought in to do it. These same ex-pats would like to go back to civilization every so often to see our families, but now, out of nothing BUT PURE SPITE AND CONTEMPT for the pilots he employs we are being stopped from doing that.

I am here to work 900 hrs a year. 75 hrs a month. As long as I do my hours then the rest is my life. When I joined 6 months ago this wasnt in my contract.



"Can you name one airline that is currently hiring pilots that would allow you to do all the items mentioned in the manner you see fit?"

No: not all the things, but none can be as bad as this place. The amount of unnecessary human suffering is disgusting.

[skycap]

"EFC, chill out, Captain Oryz is a managment/managment wanna be/Instructor from a third world country. Nobody from Europe/Australia/Canada/US or with a western educated mentality would ever defend QR in the way he does."

He is from the US of A. ex SQC, DAL

[Fubaliera]

Unless he's a serious tax evader, I dont think so.

[skycap]

Hard to believe, but I know so

[Fubaliera]

Maybe a US passport but (originally) from Bangledesh or some other dump

[wakbaralwaker]

I'll gladly respond to the question at the end of your post....

"Can you name one airline that is currently hiring pilots that would allow you to do all the items mentioned in the manner you see fit?"

No of course not, I would not expect any self-respecting airline to allow this, past or present. (BTW what is the relevance of the currently hiring aspect?).
The key point that I was making is that the manner and tone that QR uses to communicate with the pilots (and other staff to be fair) is nothing short of appalling. I stand by my original assertion that it does indeed underline the spiteful and contemptuous attitude on the part of our management, much of which is reflected behaviour from the very top.

With communication, tone and presentation is everything, - perception matters and for me (and I suspect a great deal of others) the tone throughout is abysmal and frankly demoralising. Each of those FCNs had fair points to make but surely even you would agree that there is a (far) better way? Over to you...

Lets go back to the rostering issue. You do agree that this is a 'bit of an overreaction'. That's putting it mildly. However, lets get the commuting notion out of the way here - that is not my axe at all, albeit it is for some. The key point here is that one pilot made a bid for a large block of DOs. The system gave him 3x the blocks he requested which was clearly ridiculous, but was quickly corrected and he was left with the original requested block. For whatever reason he was hauled up, along with his fleet manager, to floor 9 and pilloried for something that was not his fault. The rest is history. Unless the policy changes (I doubt it), three DOs in a row is the max you will ever get. But it goes further that that.... you will not get any more than the minimum required as per the rules of OM-A Ch7. Thus if there is no more work for you in a particular month after you min DOs are allocated all the rest will be filled with SBY. It is not uncommon for 20+ pilots in a rank/ fleet to be on SBY on a particular day. The other grim practice is allocating a (say) 1200-2300 SBY prior to your DOs - they have no intention of calling you but it stuffs you completely.

Whatever way you add this up it's frankly madness and demonstrates the spite mentioned before. You can easily extract 900 annual hours, 75 per month from the majority of pilots whilst allocating DOs in a more useful/ sympathetic manner (to the pilot). Its a win win situation. Pilots have all manner of reasons for wanting to come and go from Doha and commuting is not really an option for the majority (too far), however as long as you are back and rested before you next duty what is the problem with pilots using their multi-exit permits and ID90 privileges to travel on their DOs?

To QREscape Plan and EFC 3 days: I couldn't agree with your posts more... feel free to PM me.

Wakbar

[skycap]

Sorry Fub, you have been here a long time and I agree that one would think it would be from where you suggest, but he is a pure bred yank ex DAL then ex SQC. Pale skin. Will not post his initials to protect his identity.

[Maverick]

Why are You still here?

No body is forcing anyone to be where they dont want to be. Don't criticize the job/company that brings the food to your table mate.

You have better, then go and get it.

Be positive and look at the better things in store. Spread the Positivity around. Things Might Change! This bickering on this site will not help mate.

Pilots are NOT cheap. Don't make us look like one! please!

[Blacksteel7]

I’m sorry but I can’t believe in your post. This is a gag or you are :mad:
"Pilots are NOT cheap. Don't make us look like one! please!"
It's my guess. You look like one! :E

[Maverick]

:)

If you are cheap you will stay even if you have so many complaints...

If you are NOT, and know your worth, You can be Bold enough to try and improve things or exercise other options..

No place or person is perfect. Thats why we are here. To make things better.

Contribute Not Conflict!

Cheers! :ok: and Be Happy!

:)

[violet08]

Captain O,
You say:
Contact during Standby- No prohibition of mobile phones. You just need to answer them. "Unacceptable curtailment of freedom", "house arrest" bit of a flair for the dramatic don't you think? Your on "standby", different airlines operate it differently.

Our new instructions for stby are that we must contact a crew controller BEFORE leaving our residence (place of rest). So, any trip to the store should be preceeded by a call to get permission. It doesn't say that we just need to be contactable by cell phone or to be in the local area. What if the crew controller, says "no" you can't leave your home? What's next? Can't take a crap? This is extreme, if you comply with the directive.

[wakbaralwaker]

Maverick,
First of all I am not your mate.
Secondly, it is my inalienable right (on this forum at least) for me to air my opinions about the company I work for (or anything else to do with our profession for that matter) and I will not be constrained/ admonished by absurd nonsense from you.
Thirdly, whether I stay, or go, now or sometime in the future is frankly irrelevant to the arguments that we as a group (and sometimes individually) are subjected to a great deal of harsh and unreasonable behaviour by our management. You may differ with your opinions and that is your right but I will not be silenced because you do not like what I have to say, nor will I 'leave' until I am ready.
:ok:

[BadAndy]

Question about the standby days they put in your schedule -- do you get paid for those days (any minimum credit applied towards line value)? For instance, if you have an 80 hour line and they add in 4 days of standby, does that bring your credit up, or do you only get credit if they use you?

Also, as for the days off thing, how does vacation work? Can you take 4 days of vacation per month and add those to blocks of three days off, or do you have to take all the days (42, 45, or whatever it is) at once? Can you break it into 2 -- three week sections?

And, as for the standby, how much time do you have to get to the operations if they call you on standby?

Thanks.

[EFC 3 DAYS]

The trouble with a lot of the CLOWNS at QR who believe that they are being treated well by QR or that its acceptable to be given Middle Age rules and directives from a management team that borders on Stalinist is that these same said pilots love the big shiney plane they fly and are in dread of losing their jobs and having to go back to their home countries and look for respectable employment. They will never speak badly of their company because flying a big 330 or a 777 is more important to them than the working conditions they operate under.
QR, EY and EK along with the rest of these Middle East airlines, from what I understand, treat its flight crew like dogc#@p. What makes it worse is that there are those amongst these same said pilot group who find it completely acceptable to be treated in a derogatory manner, who will stand up and defend these companies, who state that all will be better when the economy improves, who feel its acceptable to have to call work and ask for permission to go to the shops and buy milk while on reserve, who feel its ok to have three days off in a row, who feel its fine not to be able to stand for more than 5 minutes in a cafeteria for a cup of tea.
Yet these sam said pilots talk about acting like pilots and being professional!!! Seriously!!!! The above conditions are draconian!!! If you believe that you are treated like a professional airline pilot should be while working at QR, EY or EK for that matter, you really have professional and personal standards that are lower than a snakes belly. To QR management you are nothing more than hired help that will be disposed of at the stroke of a pen. The only difference between you and the cleaners or the cafeteria workers that you see each day is that at least those people know that they are being treated like cr@p.
So long as pilots like Orynx are working for companies like QR things will never change because pilots like Oryx are the exact same pilots who would cross a picket line in order to serve their own personal best interests. I know his type and I know his background. I believe in the US of A his type is called a SCAB.
But say noting bad because you want to keep your job!!!!!!!

[Fubaliera]

If he is a scab, would be nice to have his name and look it up on the ALPA scablist. :hmm:

[EFC 3 DAYS]

ALPA (Air Line Pilot Association) scablist? Are you serious???? You do not need to be on a "scablist" in order to act like a scab, to walk over your fellow employees, to constantly put your head in the sand and ignore the rubbish working conditions you toil under but at the same time refuse to do anything about. A scablist does not show you whether a pilot is willing to eat cr$p so that they are allowed fly shiney big planes!!!
Scablist from ALPA????? Holy cow, ALPA is the number one organisation in the entire world single handedly responsible for selling pilots and their careers down the proverbial toilet for goodness sake!!!
ALPA!!! What a laugh you gave me when you mentioned that name!!!! Thanks for bringing somehumor to my foggy day!!!
ALPA= read a book called FLYING THE LINE VOL 2!!!!

[QREscape-plan]

Just want to go back to the original well-written post.
Ive read this crew notice dozens of times now and I cant for the life of me comprehend what sort of manager would write provocative drivel such as this.

CAFETERIA – FLIGHT OPS / TECHNICAL BUILDING
PAGE 1 of 1
We are pleased to advise that all Flight Operation / Technical staff can use the
Cafeteria facilities, which is functional effective 16-02-10 at the Flight Ops/Technical
Building during the following off-peak hours ONLY:
Morning: 0800 to 1000 hrs
Afternoon: 1400 to 1600 hrs
Night: 2100 to 2200 hrs
Due to space and time limitation, staff/s are advised to limit their visit to not more than 15 minutes as we would like all staff to get an equal opportunity to use this facility. Continuity of this facility is dependent on sensible usage, staff/s found misusing this privilege will have their access to the cafeteria removed permanently; and furthermore, this could even lead to a disciplinary action taken against the concerned individual. Staff/s are required to strictly adhere to the rules mentioned below:

1. Maintain SILENCE while traversing through the corridor going towards the cafeteria as the cabin crew briefing rooms are located in this area.
2. If the cafeteria is completely occupied, staff/s are advised NOT TO WAIT in the corridor but to return to their seats.
This facility is a privilege therefore please do not abuse it.


and in a reasonable, professional, courteous, respectful manner.
p.s. the plural of staff is staff not staffs.


CAFETERIA – FLIGHT OPS / TECHNICAL BUILDING
PAGE 1 of 1
We are pleased to advise that all Flight Operation / Technical staff can use the Cafeteria facilities, which are functional effective 16-02-10 at the Flight Ops/Technical.
Due to the limited space in the cafeteria would tech staff please use the facility during the following times:
• Morning: 0800 to 1000 hrs
• Afternoon: 1400 to 1600 hrs
• Night: 2100 to 2200 hrs
please also be aware of the crew briefing rooms in the area so we ask that staff not wait in the corridor but to return to their seats and keep noise to a minimum in the corridors around the cabin crew briefing rooms.

Thank you for your co-operation with regards to the above requests.

issuing persons name here


Makes an incredible difference doesnt it AB, HM, etc?
Treat us with dignity and give us the respect we deserve and will become far more productive and useful to the company. Carry on the way you are and the place will continue to be a training college where pilots type rate and leave.

[portquartercv67]

I'm not a QR pilot but is it just a coincidence that Capt Oryx has not posted a response on this thread since his cover was ostensibly blown?

I am always skeptical of posters that are not objective. Truth and reality is always some where in the middle. There must be some good things about flying for QR and have no doubt that there are also lots of negatives. Reality of flying in the expat world. We will always be outsiders that are expendable as there are many knocking on the door you recently were allowed to enter.

[Maverick]

Having an opinion is everyone's right and we all give ours. Taking it personal is something else...

Being a judge of someone you don't know all about..i dont know what to say.

Any company in today's world has its positive's and negatives.

If you really believe in something stand up for it. Airing one's opinion in a rumour forum will not give you the desired outcome. Or maybe you are using this just to air your opinions and not look for improvement or some other reason......which you definitely have a right to. this is a rumour forum afterall.

If you decide to do something then you:

either live with your decision like a human /
try your best to make the best out of it /
suggest better options for change /
If the above options fail, then one can look for a different environment alltogether

many options;

I have been around people who only crib and make the work environment not so very interesting and it doesn't help.

Mate is meant as a good gesture. Its not friendship. Its what we use as a casual term. Dont think I have taken you to be a buddy, coz It will need more getting to know each other mate!

Cheers and Happy Landings!

:)

[Tintin]

Maverick quote: No body is forcing anyone to be where they dont want to be. Don't criticize the job/company that brings the food to your table mate.

If everybody was thinking like you we will still be living in cave ..

[Tintin]

BAdAndy to answer your questions. No credit, you can't & one hour..

[Maverick]

Tintin:

out of context example:

This is a more complex situation we are dealing with. Positive Change is the only thing we humans crave for as indicated in my post. :)

Being in the cave and complaining about not being able to get the kill to come to you is the scenario that exists!

So go out and get the kill if you can hunt! Dont SIT IN and complain...:ok:

[BadAndy]

Tintin,

Thanks.

[cleared to land]

Maverick,
your post is one of the most ridiculous i've seen on this website.
We MUST criticise and express our opinions and that is in the BEST interest of the company that is putting food on our table. Ill treatment of flight crew is a known issue here and that has to change or the ambitious plans for creating a major company will crash and burn.

Discipline is one thing, and i stress dscipline is important for this company, but purposely making the life of your employees miserable with actions that have no whatsoever benefit to the company is nothing but stupid. You can not have have commercials on every major tv network in the world and at the same time have unhappy or happy but kicked out from the rest of the world pilots operate your aircraft worth hundreds of millions. This will backfire sooner or later.

[Homo Ludens]

Funny, somebody should mention a positive change...
Previous experience shows, changes are usually for worst, not for the best. We, the humankind, always hope for the best, but I came to hope for NO change.
The new boss is NEVER better than the other and the new pay package is not actually an increase. No mater what they tell you...
By bitching and moaning one only poisons one's own mind. Period.
The happiness, which all seek, is inside, so look for it there.
Find yourselves something you enjoy and concentrate on it.
Or not - I, for one, don't care.
Wish you all immortality!
Cheers!

[oryxbollocks]

Wakbaralwaker (and what a great handle),

It's been a while since I peeked in here and what do I find but a lucid, accurate, factual post! Thank you.

I've been sitting back wondering what lunacy has suddenly reared its ugly head (once again for it's cyclical here - I speak from experience) that appears determined to drive away the competent and qualified pilots we are finally 'attracting' to this cowboy outfit?

In a REAL airline, if you complete the job you're hired for (say 80 hours a month), the said company doesn't care what you do with the time remaining. Here, aside from having to pay for a get-out-of-goal card, our management is determined to screw our lives simply for the fun of it!

Other than the likes of management wannabees like maverdick and captain goat, most pilots do this job for money AND at the same time, to have a life!

Furthermore, airlines that need expatriate pilots recognise this and provide rosters that allow the pilots, whose families cannot/will not be with them where they are based, to be with them on a regular basis. Clearly, unless they live in Bahrain, 3 days off will not work for them.

As for the tone of the notices, it's someone's power trip. And we all know where that comes from. Disregard them. I find that the easiest way.

GB

[TOGA LOCK]

Why pilots don't get more than three days off? Let's ask a few simple questions:

How many pilots are provided with company accommodation?
How much money does it represent every month?
Who owns the compounds where pilots live?
Who benefits from pilots not having a commuting contract?
If you want to look good and get a promotion, how would you signal to the the Landlord that you are on his side?

What's going on here has nothing to do with power trips, sadism or any other conspiratorial reasons. It is strictly business. Simple Math. Add up, multiply, and you will get an idea of how much business would be lost if people don't stay in Doha.

Other good reasons that come to mind?

1) Getting days off would make it easier for anyone to assist to interviews in other places.

2) Management cocked up so badly in the past and so many people left, that the company doesn't have enough pilots to cover the rostering requirements, hence the increase of duty time and the decrease of days off.

3) Management intuitively knows that making you a slave will help them fill their pockets. Read some history and you will find plenty of examples about that.

Now, let's stretch our mental muscles a bit and imagine a hypothetical situation: one pilot gets an interview with another company. He doesn't have enough days off to attend, so he pulls a fast one: he goes anyway and doesn't come back for his duty. In his standby day, he doesn't even answer his phone: he is very busy somewhere else. When he decides to return, he tells the company that he has been sick out of base but, in the end, he doesn't even bother to submit a medical certificate to prove it. Later, when he gets the job, he hands in his resignation to the Fleet Manager with a selfish smirk on his face, secretly thinking "Gotcha". The boss realizes that he has been screwed, and now, fearing that this might happen again, he issues a series of directives with menacing undertones, mentioning "Disciplinary Action" in a most overt manner.

Remember how Black Magic works: "Disciplinary Action", "Three days off" is the present backdrop, the understated magic spell this time, as "Evian" was a few months back. We give power to these symbols if we take them seriously, and they lose power if we laugh heartily at them. Break the spell and don't fall trap of this Old Black Magic!!!

So, coming back to my hypothesis, I am not saying that all these things actually happened in one event. However, if we consider the amount of pilots that have resigned in the last 6 months, I would be surprised if this picture I am drawing with my eyes closed isn't very close to reality. The way I see it is that, in this part of the world, we are subjected to Reactive Management as opposed to Proactive Management, meaning, rules are made as we go along without any foresight. Once someone does something that hurts a manager's Ego, the Lining of his Pockets or the Whimsical Arbitrariness of his Autocracy, Collective Punishment is brought upon the rest of us with a clear message: "You shall not screw around with me ever again". Anyway, who said that a manager's job is to Care or to Share? His job is to Manage, albeit well or not.

On another subject, remember that these Aircrew Notices were written by people that only have two templates in their minds: 1) "It is not allowed by …… (fill the dotted line with an Authority Figure or your favourite Deity)". 2) "If you do not follow the rules you shall be punished by …… (fill the dotted line with an Authority Figure or your favourite Deity)". This template is as old as the Old Testament. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai and talked to his people in the wilderness, he gave them one of the first legal codes in history. It was not written in "legalese". It was written in "bullet points". Not so much as laws but straightforward imperative statements. Something that must be followed blindly and is not open to debate or interpretation. Therefore, you shall not expect any better from someone who was living in a similar environment only 20 years ago. Someone mentioned Middle Ages, well, I would go a bit further than that. Maybe one day, these gentlemen will grow up, stop pulling tantrums like little children and behave like adults. They may even learn how to write Aircrew Notices. This day, we'll be happy to welcome them to the 25th century, if a life extension pill is developed and we are still around. Meanwhile, I wouldn't take things so much to heart. It is not personal.

In conclusion, on one side it looks like the company is going out of their way to curtail your liberties. However, if you look closely, with a sharp eye, you will see how lost these bozos are. They realize their boat is sinking, and have no other way of saving it. Putting out fires as they flare out is the only unenlightened way they know. To me, it doesn't look like they know how to manage. A shrewd manager will give you crap and you will eat it with a smile on your face! What prevails in this situation is economic interest, mere incompetence and a raw display of lack of understanding of other cultures and belief systems. And even worst, not even the slightest intention to think out of the box and realize that things could be done better, synergistically and for the common good. Someone once said: "No man ever listened himself out of a job."

Cheers, and Blue Side Up!

[Homo Ludens]

Thank you, Toga, for an yet another insightfull post! And no sarcazm, none at all, I promise!
Your are an amazingly wize man, for a bus driver. ;)
Cheers!

[MigratoryBird]

:D:D:D

you've done it again, mate! sad but true... :ugh:

MB

[cleared to land]

TOGA,
you must love flying so much you dont want to leave this job for a career in writing for example. Well done.:D

[TOGA LOCK]

Thanks guys for the encouraging words. I have some additional thoughts on this topic.

If a Witch Doctor points at a victim with a Death Bone and casts a spell on him, this can cause him sickness and eventual death. There are indeed many registered cases in all cultures about this phenomenon. How is this possible? I would like to further an possible explanation: What kills the person is not the Death Bone, as a bone in itself has no special power. What kills the victim is the BELIEF that Death Bones can kill and the FEAR they have for the Witch Doctor.

I am just trying to show you here where is the Death Bone and who is the Witch Doctor that holds it. But most importantly, I am trying to show you how to avoid being the victim: laugh heartily, rise above your circumstances and don't fall for their tricks. Consider this post a grimoire that can help you overcome any problems you might encounter as you deal with the Black Magic of everyday's life. Read it again and again, and it will bring you good luck and protection. Trust me, it works, as long as you BELIEVE ME ;-)

Cheers, and Blue Side Up!

[MigratoryBird]

laugh heartily, rise above your circumstances and don't fall for their tricks.

as per the latest aircrew notice, now i cannot even read a newspaper... :yuk:

TOGA, difficult to do what you say, although i agree that things would be better if we stop repeating what we hear to other people and laugh about it.

[Tintin]

They give us the bare minimum, then don't ask me to more then that. I will go do my flight, come home and notting else.