Freighter contract shambles

[fliion]

Yes, yes - I know we told you so but I can't help but feel sorry for the guys that bought into the freighter contract 'edition 2' email on 4th June...only to have last night's bombshell dropped at their inbox

Over the summer around family kitchen tables, pencils were sharpened, chats with the kids about going back, families in home country consulted , school places reserved, movers booked etc etc.

Just think almost two weeks straight of "a bit of wind and rain in your face", a pint at the local...

Ah the romance...

The math just about made sense because of the 12.5k as housing/hotel was covered in Dubai. "That'll cover the -15% hon"

Well guess what - the rug got pulled last night after the moves were made, the kids have gone and the villa emptied.

You now pay for your Dubai hotels. "Not to worry - we have great deals"

Back to reality - I have to say I find this move particularly egregious- it's up there with the downgraded 330 skippers (while hiring NB DEC onto Boeing) and the A scale B scale recruitment move.

Absolutely no shame ...nor integrity for that matter. But the veterans knew that.

Perhaps the 'excited to be off the prop crowd' will get a sense of what the value system here is.

It's only a matter of time before the system impacts you .., and it will.

Don't say you weren't told...again and again and again....

[GoreTex]

don't know why anybody still flies for EK, was just talking to some FOs that make 2000 euros a month and asked them if they considered EK, they were laughing and said no never, the aviation world is small and everybody knows the truth now.

[Cloud Bunny]

I thought the original contract was 3 options, stay in villa, EK pay for hotel or take the allowance and pay your own hotels. I guess they've just removed option 2?
I know a few guys who have taken it, all taking the allowance and allowing for hotel payments out of that.
Seems like they've made it like 'mainline' in that case then. You either live in company accommodation or you take the allowance and pay your way. I can't see this putting a dent in anyone's plans, at least the guys I know anyway. I may have missed something though!

[fliion]

I thought the original contract was 3 options, stay in villa, EK pay for hotel or take the allowance and pay your own hotels. I guess they've just removed option 2?
I know a few guys who have taken it, all taking the allowance and allowing for hotel payments out of that.
Seems like they've made it like 'mainline' in that case then. You either live in company accommodation or you take the allowance and pay your way. I can't see this putting a dent in anyone's plans, at least the guys I know anyway. I may have missed something though!

Completely wrong - in April the edition 1 alluded to what you are saying .

Under edition 2 from M.E. on June 4th - specifically says allowance plus hotels in Dubai. Otherwise why would the email come last night apologizing for the change.

Whether or not it materially impacts the guys you know is not the point. It's the principle of reneging.

I can tell you the guys I know are properly pissed off...and rightly so.

[Cloud Bunny]

Ahh I see. Okay fair enough, I've never looked at it myself as not interested was just my understanding from buddies that are doing it. They've all told me they were taking the allowance with the intention of using a portion of it on hotel accommodation from the start.
Good to see they're maintaining their high standards of reneging on things at zero hour though! But hey we all know what needs to change.

[natops]

This must have been part of the contracts the guys signed. The company paid accomodation while being in Dubai , when taking the living out allowance I mean.

I can't believe this.... what a disaster.
What a lowlives we work for.
Am I surprised, yes a bit. Didn't think there was a possibility to go even lower than where we are hovering the last few years.

Personally I haven't seen the email.

The company cant be trusted a tiny bit. Greedy f#%^ers.
One more year...

[Kobus Dune]

So that would be the usual excuse of having some unconfirmed misconduct of some, totally unchecked and probably invented, to start action against all, this time for real...

Examples come to mind - we have read and heard the post of Yorkshire stuff so many times !

[bringbackthe80s]

It surely is informative to read about terms and new offers, and I'm sure most of what is written on here is true.
But it seems to me that most of the people writing on these middle east threads are just super home sick, that is what most of the topics come down to and I guess this is what companies are using.

[CaptainChipotle]

But it seems to me that most of the people writing on these middle east threads are just super home sick

Utter rubbish. You can't equate being "home sick" to being treated like sh1t and constantly having your T&C dwindle.

Maybe if you are referencing the fact that many of us come from countries where a contract is binding and actually worth the paper it is printed on, then YES, we are home sick.

[KippaLippa]

....countries where a contract is binding and actually worth the paper it is printed on, then YES, we are home sick.

Spot on Capt.Chip.

[bringbackthe80s]

I am not trying to defend the ME companies at all here, but oh boy how disappointed you will be if you ever get to see one of these binding contracts in good old europe.

[Icarus2001]

Leaving aside the ethics and morality of "changing" the contract after it has been agreed, how much will this cost the employee?

Suppose you need to spend ten nights a month in Dubai during a 28 day pattern, including one at the beginning and end. Days off etc down the line are covered by the company. If a hotel can be had for USD$100 a night then the cost is USD$1000 per 28/13 pattern. Given that there are nine 28/13 patterns in a year then that would make the cost around USD$9000pa.

So not an insignificant number. However it would depend on what quality/price hotel one is happy to accept in Dubai.

The freighter contract is around US$118,000 pa (AED432,000 pa) including the accommodation allowance. So it becomes around US$109,000 pa.

Do these figures seem reasonable? Reasonable as in ten a month at US$100 per night not reasonable as in fair.

[glofish]

Do these figures seem reasonable?

The moment you hit the = button, the conditions will have been unilaterally altered .....

[SOPS]

Well, I worked in " Good Old Europe " , for 17 years. My contract was always binding and respected. Conditions negotiatied by a Union. Never had a problem.
I never woke up to find an email to say....sorry, xxxx condition has just changed...if you don't like it leave.
I would take a good old Europe contract at any time.

[Icarus2001]

but oh boy how disappointed you will be if you ever get to see one of these binding contracts in good old europe

Isn't it good that the disappointment would be at the start when you first see the agreement, decide if it is right for you and then sign it; rather than six months after signing when the employer unilaterally changes the conditions at their whim?

[MR8]

Yes, this will cost the freighter boys some extra money, and they will probably be pissed off about that, but I think the biggest challenge will be organizing their DXB 'layovers' now.

The whole idea of starting a dedicated freighter operation is to minimize the disruption caused by the freighter ops to the pax side of the operation. Indeed, the freighter guys can expect lots of roster changes, either in DXB or downroute.

Now, suppose you come back earlier then rostered in DXB: do you still need to find a hotel the moment you get off the airplane? Good luck with that during e.g. Gitex or Cityscape conventions, or when the Tennis is ongoing around the airport etc...
Or, you have everything arranged like a good boy, but now you pick up an extra leg downroute and you won't be in DXB when planned: do you really think the hotels are going to reimburse you?
What about explaining to crew transport before every flight where they have to pick you up this time...

So yes, the loss of money sucks, but I think the biggest stress factor will come from trying to arrange a bed every time you are in DXB, unless you settle for a small one bedroom in a cheap area. That will probably cost you about the same...

Good luck to the freighter boys, seems to me they'll need some.

MR8

[fliion]

Not to mention the PPC or pattern that ends at 6am - no check in until 14:00 during busy season.

Everybody else at home base has a place of R&R while you will not be catered to.

What a complete cluster.

[Icarus2001]

So are the guys now operating on this contract? Any feedback?

[givemewings]

There is one possible solution... I won't spell it out exactly here bc you know, they'd just put in some clause to kibosh it, but... the cargo boys could always book in with their friends at Hotel de Cedar 😉 (think about it)

[GillEx737]

So are the guys now operating on this contract? Any feedback?

Don't think it starts til November, or that's what I last heard anyway

[Icarus2001]

A long lead time given that it was announced in April.

[Plank Cap]

September 1st. As suggested roster instability would be the norm. It is...