Although I know little about the merger of BIH and Bond, it has been proved before on the North Sea that individuals seeing managers or making comments at poorly attended meetings are a complete waste of time. This is exactly what the people, supposedly running our industry, laugh about in the pub after work.
The North Sea Pilots Association was a brave effort that failed through lack of commitment and support. The only way to make any progress is collectively, there is no doubt.
Neither, semirigid and pitchlink, does sitting on the sidelines and carping or using crude language help the case. If this as good as we can manage we might as well write off our futures now.
The answer is collective strength. Go to the next BALPA meeting and tell them that we are dissatisfied and we want them to take a tougher line with the employers and for them to get their act together and stop being so amateurish when dealing with the Oil Companies.
The North Sea Pilots have tremendous power if they could only get organised and remain united. Look at how BA staff by arranging some "sick days" managed to forward their case. If the NS did that the Oil Companies would take a very active interest in our problems. In fact they would be talking to our managers in double quick time!
So come on lets stop fighting each other, tell Jim to get cracking before they ruin our jobs, and our pensions and our pay scales ( behind the drag curve I know ).
IF WE WANT TO ACT STRONG WE HAVE TO ACT TOGETHER, and like it or not BALPA is the only vehicle we can use. If the officers are not doing a good job tell them in writing or vote them out.
If any younger people intend staying in this industry you had better come forward and start fighting for your futures or get out now and go and do something else.