Mgmt can shout and bawl all they like.
A licensed engineer got where he is through alot of hard work, training and (I really hope?) the belief that he has what it takes to say "NO" when he knows it's not right. It goes with the role, yes?
I'd rather tell the wife I've been sacked/suspended for not "penning off" a u/s aircraft, as suggested I do so by my supervisor, than spend the rest of my life behind bars living with the guilt that my actions left a smoking hole somewhere and possibly many lifes lost!!
If I'm not happy, won't sign for it.
Here's something to think about - saw an advert in McDonalds a while ago for trainee managers starting on £18'000, there's plenty really good aircraft technicians earning way less than this out there !!! Or how about qualified gas fitters earning £30'000 or more, well there's Licensed engineers signing aircraft off every day earning the same, or less in some cases!!
Do you think that both these jobs carry the same responsibility as aircraft maintenance? I know my opinion.
I believe standards are dropping and I also believe the regulatory bodies won't do a thing about it until there's an accident to justify it. You only need to look back at accidents and read the reports to realise failures or errors had been there all along but nothing was done til one falls out of the sky.
Don't be pushed into something you are not happy about, so they send you home and some one else pen's it off!!
You won't be the one behind bars, jobless maybe, but concience clear and guilt free.