Tinytim
You are of course correct to say that, some of those people who voted yes, were voting to support their CC. I think it also fair to say that morale is not, as was described earlier, "at rock bottom."
Let's not get into why so many people were unable to support the CC's call for support.
Let us all hope that all CX pilots receive a fair and equitable pay rise (recognising the sacrifices many have made over recent years)
It is also perfectly reasonable for the schedules dealing with base closures and pilot displacement, to be handled in the best interests of those most affected.
The only issue that may be tricky to deal with, is the one of access to mainline. I still do not see (as I believe I said earlier in the thread) how BACX management, CC, or it's pilots, can change whatever BA decide is THEIR selection criteria? Though I STRONGLY suspect the threat of industrial action CERTAINLY will not achieve it!
You mentioned a timescale. What if BA don't recruit this year?
If a full on merger was being proposed, as with CFE, then fair enough, the issue of 'selection' simply would not occur. All CX pilots would join the master seniority list, and free movement would be available for ALL pilots, TO, as well as from, the regions. This of course would be strongly resisted by management (both BA and CX) since it would, at a stroke, destroy the reason for handing so much regional flying to CX in the first place!
Finally, I would suggest that, employment by mainline would be fairly unattractive for a very significant proportion of CX pilots. For a start, anyone older than their early forties, would be unlikely to see a command of ANY description before retirement, which currently (unlike CX) would be at 55, and no longer on a final salary basis! Any legislative change in retirement age (2006?) will simply result in a total freeze on career progression for 5 years!
Meaning no command opportunities for anything up to 15 years!
Those hoping for a longhaul command would need to join before they were 35!
I wouldn't imagine any captain in BACX would be too happy with the thought of a pay cut, (FO PP1!) and 9-10 years back in the RHS!
Also, how many people living in the North of England, Scotland, etc would be happy to relocate to 60 minutes drive from London?
And if you think the idea of shorthaul out of LHR sounds fun, think again! Why do you think secondment to CX was so popular??
So there it is, copilots relatively new to BACX, under the age of 35, who can live in the South of England on a relatively low wage, who aren't phazed by the idea of 9-10 years in the RHS, operating out of LHR, should do well!
Oh, and I didn't mention the joy of life at the bottom of a bidline fleet!
Only playing devil's advocate you understand!
Given the number of CX pilots this career path is likely to appeal to, I think you may be tempted to agree that the BACX CC's rejection, some while ago, of limited access to BA, may in hindsight, have been something of a misjudgement?
Which brings us, I suppose, back to the 'vote of confidence.'
Last edited by Tandemrotor; 1st Mar 2004 at 20:18.