PLEASE can someone explain why BA didn't furlough (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme CJRS) ANY pilots?
It just doesn't make sense!
Presumably BALPA didn't want pilots furloughed? But look at these figures:
Given the schedule since March, BA could have furloughed ALL 747 and 380 pilots, and probably 40% of A320 (given LGW not flying), probably 60% of 777 pilots, and 40% of 787 and A350 pilots. If not even more than this! We REALLY have not been flying much as an airline!
So lets say 3500 pilots (leaving 1200 active), for 7 months (April to October), at 2500 GBP per month per pilot. That takes us to:
61,250,000 GBP (61.25 MILLION).
"Free" money from the Government to BA and thence to the pilots.
BUT hold on a minute.... We just made the ~250 newest pilots (with the exception of about 2 who weren't the most junior) redundant..... so lets assume they are all on Pay Point 1, and a mix of DEP and SSPs. So lets say 50,000 salary each....... That 61 million from the Government could have paid their full salary for.....
4.9 YEARS!
What were you doing BALPA?
This money could have kept people employed at least until October, and could have meant more funds for a better VR deal and therefore more leaving voluntarily "off the top of the list" thus retaining people who would otherwise have been made VR.
So WHY? Why was the Government CJRS not used? I just do not understand it!