Just finished reading the latest letter from the DFO over my early morning tea. Now, no appetite for breakfast...
My first question would be? Are we working for the same airline? Reading his comments, it would appear to be from the DFO of an airline that is not losing it's pilots, has everything under control and seems to think that years of mistreatment and abuse can be fixed in "two days". So obviously, this must be the DFO from a completely different airline than the one I work for.
The DFO talks about the AOA releasing a "positioning piece". Really? I would posit that it's the company that is guilty of YEARS of positioning pieces. In fact, I would say it's the company that is guilty of just about every violation of normal rules of conduct, in every area, in every year of my 25+ years of employment. Please, spare us the absurdity of blaming the AOA. It is abundantly clear to every one of us that the company is the one who is solely at fault in every area of concern. Yes, every area.
You talk about focusing on the future, not dwelling on the past. Well, of course you don't want to dwell on the past, mainly because it highlights just how abusive and destructive management have been to every area of our careers. To dwell on the past would require real answers to the volume of legitimate grievances that the pilots have, and before we can focus on the "future", you have to address and fix the violations and damage that has been committed in the past. None of us are willing to forgive and forget at this point. More pointedly, we remember and demand redress.
Back to turnover. On an annualized basis, we are probably getting close to 5% or higher. That is certain to increase. It will certainly increase if you and your management team insist on bench-marking CX pilots to HKA. Funny how you don't seem to want to benchmark us to your wholly owned subsidiary, Dragonair...curious. Further, a simple anecdotal review of what is actually being discussed on the flight decks will patently highlight how most of the expat pilots 45 or under are actively considering leaving. It is safe to say that if there is not a wholesale change of direction in the pay/benefits/lifestyle equation, the exodus will start to reach catastrophic numbers. Whether or not you want to acknowledge it, nearly every flight I and my colleagues operate has at least one, if not more pilots either applying elsewhere, interviewing elsewhere, awaiting a course date elsewhere. Another question: do our main competitors (BA/QF/LH/AF/DL/AA etc...) experience anywhere near that percentage of resignations? I seriously doubt it. In fact, almost NOBODY in those airlines resigns for reasons other than health related. So please, stop with the distortion of fact and truth (the thing you are accusing the AOA of). We can all SEE what is happening with our own eyes, and we all KNOW of many people who have left already, or are planning to do so.
Your comment regarding our "package" being above industry standard is laughable, when you are talking about people living in the most expensive city on earth. If it's so competitive, explain how my nephew with BA (25 yrs old ) has just purchased his own HOUSE in a suburb of London, and owns two cars, wife not having to work), and our pilots,being based in HK, see most of them not even able to afford to pay school debentures, much less find the money to make a downpayment on a 400 sq ft apartment in the outer reaches of HK? Stop with the distortion of fact. The current package is well below par, and certainly not sustainable on a career level. I repeat, the package is NOT sustainable on a career level. We ALL KNOW IT.
You go on to patronize us, talking about how "some pilots may choose to return to their home countries (like SA...?), and that the company "respects" (!) that decision".
. Seriously, in the days where CX truly respected their pilots, NOBODY left. Either CX is or it is not a career airline. Under current management, it is NOT. Neither is HKA or HKE. They are happy to have pilots for a few years then replace them. Why don't you at least be honest and come out and admit the same about CX? Ironically, both HKA and HKE at least offer their pilots much more rapid commands, with the ability to then take that experience and transfer to a better employer. On that basis, they arguably offer a better overall package than CX.
I am particularly disappointed as to how you attempted to try and turn the local pilots against the AOA. The AOA did nothing of the sort that you allude to. What you have really attempted to do is use the "race card", and as in politics in general, is no less offensive here.
You say we all have a responsibility to end industrial action. Notice to Management: it will NOT end until we have ALL the outstanding issues suitably addressed and resolved. Not a day sooner, and not a penny less.
Trafalgar