Getting a job from the wilds of Dorset has nothing to do with her Intellect or Degree but the fact that she is labelled a "trouble maker" Perhaps Branson would give her a job just to get one up on BA.!!?? Other Airlines would not touch her with a bargepole I suspect.
What utter drivel! If nothing else Jess has the total respect of the BA management for standing her ground. A trouble maker for ensuring that she has the same rights as everybody else in the UK workforce.......please. Even PoD realises that BA is lucky to have Jess as an employee, although to be fair the vast majority of her cadet colleagues are all of the same calibre.
The law says she is entitled to percentage working.
BA have lost on this ground. They have then moved the goal posts by insisting that for somebody to have less than 2000 hrs this is not safe. Nobody would object to BA choosing their own levels of safety but this is an arbitary figure plucked out the air just because Jess has slightly less than this figure. In BA 1500 hours has always been the cut off point. To suddenly change this figure is almost obscene in it's arrogance.
The 50% working figure that Jess will fly will give her far more flying than 100% on the 747. Which she could easily transfer to if she so desired.
10 years ago cadets flying 100% on the airbus flew a lot less than Jess will fly on 50% now.
Cadets used to go striaght on to the Tristar and flew way, way less than Jess will fly.
This is not about safety (find ONE BA airbus trainer that will state publically that Jess would not be safe to fly a 50% contract. You can't because not one non-management trainer would agree to to make that statement.) it is simply that BA are trying to not allow Jess her legal rights because it will cost them money. She is entitled to those rights. Eventually she is paving the way for women and mothers to be able to have careers as pilots AND have a family. The law, and common sense, say that this is the way it should be for all employees. That includes pilots.
I pity the companies who think that the ability to work non-stop outways the ability to command an aircraft to the highest standards. These companies will pay the price if they employ "primary school teachers" instead of the most able individuals they can find. Unfortunately it will only be time before there is a major hull loss. Those responsible will have long gone, enjoying the vast fortunes made from stock options and bonus payments. Whilst some poor git will get the blame for failing to to do a job that he was probably never able to do since day one.
That is why the industry MUST keep employing those of the highest calibre. The less hand flying we do and the more automated the AC become the much more important it is that the truely able get selected. There is no time for practise anymore. The first time you deal with an aircraft that has no protections will be for real! That is why it is important that Jess wins. We need the most skilled people we can find in this industry. It simply cannot afford to overlook 50% of the population because they want to have a family.