Movers are NOT part of the crew. They are PAX. The only reason they fly on the aircraft is to load / unload it at the other end, because either the destination has no cargo / pax handling facilities, or we don't want to pay for them.
And loading / unloading / re-roling is something the crew is more than capable of doing; I have done it myself a number of times. Don't get me wrong, when time is tight and you have a big load to shift, mobile teams work damn hard to get it done. But they do not contribute in any way to the actual operation of the aircraft, ergo they are not crew, ergo IMHO they shouldn't get crew pay. Yes, they contribute to the execution of the TASK, but so do lineys, scribblies, ops spt and so on. 47AD SHOULD get crew pay, because they DO operate in the air and are essential to the completion of most TacAT tasks. And I would most certainly NOT allow movers on my aircraft to direct pax in the event of an emergency evacuation, as they are not qualified to do so.
Personally, I DO have a problem with people getting pay they shouldn't get, as it takes money out of a finite, ever-shrinking pot that could be better used elsewhere. If we didn't pay movers crew pay, maybe we could afford more spares and keep more aircraft airborne. And if we didn't give them flying suits and gloves, maybe there would be some left for those that actually NEED them for their job.
Rant over, standing by for incoming......
16B