I made some comments on a recent "Emirates payscales" thread, before I read this one about the DCE plan falling apart.
Well I must say I am thoroughly delighted for the chaps out there, many of whom must have been thoroughly po'd at the prospect. Sure, EK isn't my company, but this is my profession and it is great to see experienced pilots voting with their feet and in effect telling EK where to shove their lousy pay scales.
I find it ludicrous to handcuff oneself to Dubai for seven years (so as to get the provident contributions) and have their pittance of pay. And then insult to injury, EK decide to wreck your career expectations and bring in DEC's.
This is likely a blessing in disguise for EK's management, I hope they are wise enough to pick up on their fortune and not pursue such plans in the future. There are a lot of guys at EK (Canadians, Australians, South Africans and Kiwis among others) who haven't got a lot of choice right now, but they will have one day. Do EK really want a po'd pilot workforce when these fellas can get work back home ? I think such an exodus then would be far more harmful than a little "training backlog" in the present, not to mention the intangiable of "workforce morale", also in the present.