Once normality returns, which may take a few years, then it's time for some serious bargaining over pay and conditions but at the moment it's belt tightening.
Well good luck with that, the serious bargaining that is, not the belt tightening
In March, I lost my job and after 48 years in aviation, of which 31 was in Civil aviation I’m calling it a day. For personal reasons, I’d like to give something more back in a ground training role, but quite honestly I’ve had my time and there are going to be dozens of younger, equally qualified people available that need the job more than I do.
But not once, in those 31 years did ANY union bargain for ANY improvement in my Terms and Conditions and any increase was offset by increased productivity requirements. The only progression in Ts and Cs was achieved by changing companies.
I weep for the future of of this industry but I would graciously submit that the chances of clawing things back in 2 to 3 years time are nil. In those years there are going to be thousands of pilots out of work who will give their right arms to get a job in the RHS of an Airbus or Boeing. And how many outfits do you know that have achieved any REAL gains in the last 20 years?
People like MOL and WW, to name just 2, know this and they’ll exploit it to the full. I don’t like BALPA for what they did (or more to the point what they didn’t do) when I was part of an outfit that needed their help many years ago, so I can’t see them doing anything more than spouting a load of hot air and then quietly moving off in another direction.