Originally Posted by
Busbuoy
The following applies to Basings Mk2 circa late 1994.
Initially 13th month was paid to based crew. The pay scales were established using the conversion rate of the day and paid in base currency thereafter.
13th month was incorporated into base salary scales from July 1999 and a half 13th month paid December 1999. This no doubt coincided with the attack on A scales in Apr 1999 which saw variable reductions from approx 8.5% in HKG to 35% in AUS. While the company no doubt spun the line that the different rates reflected the net buying power of individual bases (Australia enjoyed a very favourable tax rate at the time and cost of living was lower) the rates actually reflected what the company "thought it could get away with" - AS IT ALWAYS DOES!
From then on individual bases have received both global pay rises and base specific rises so the rates can't be read directly across any more.
What is important is that the threat of withholding of 13th from based pilots has not been available to the company for nearly 20 years.
Only the based crew scales were affected this way, HKG CoS retained 13th month.
As a side note my hazy recollection of the mention by managers various over time of withholding 13th month was that as it was a HKG employment custom, discretion would only be exercised if paying it would effectively render the company insolvent. The recent withholding of it, particularly in the targeted fashion it was withheld can only be viewed as punitive. The "there is not enough money in the pot" argument is specious and deceitful. If there is "enough money in the pot" for managerial bonuses or pay rises to other employee groups there is "enough money in the pot" to honour basic salary commitments to all employee groups. This kind of action should never be allowed to go unaddressed.
There are plenty of things to argue about, lets make sure we argue about the same things and the right things.
I think you got that right Busboy. And don't forget the killing the company made on getting people to opt out of the A Scale[defined benefit] retirement fund to go on a base. And then inserting the pineapple.
Old times, but as Mark Twain said " History doesn't repeat, but it sure does rhyme"......