Own Goal by BALPA
In an official BALPA Newsletter circulated to Scotia Helicopters there seems to be an almost self-congratulatory statement about the recent departure of a BALPA employee. This BALPA employee is to take up a senior managerial position within the Company that he had only completed some complex and potentially contentious so called ‘harmonisation’ and pay deal. This was certainly not to the satisfaction of all and questionably not to the satisfaction of the majority of the pilot workforce and again, questionably perhaps to the satisfaction of the management. This self-congratulatory statement is as follows; “…Jim is the fourth member of our staff to be poached by an airline management in recent years, this demonstrates the calibre of staff whom we employ and consequently how hard the task of recruitment will be…”
I would be disappointed if it were the first member of their staff to be poached, as there should be in place a conditional requirement in their terms and conditions with a time period before they were permitted to gain employment within any organisation that they had negotiated with. This makes sure that everything is seen to be above board and provides confidence to the members being represented by these negotiators. This is very much in the manner that embargo’s are placed on management either leaving organisations or selling out part or all of their company. For it to happen a second time without this sort of condition be implemented is disgraceful. For fourth occurrence to happen is totally unforgivable within an organisation that has a major function of sorting out terms and conditions. How can they provide confidence that they are able to correctly sort terms and conditions on behalf of members that they are supposed to represent if they are not able to put their own house in order? To further rub ‘salt into the wound’ to try and justify these by praising the calibre of their staff just makes me sorry that this organisation is supposed to represent me.