Rameses III
Your points raised on "the letter" are, perhaps too scathing. The individual concerned can be naive to the extreme but the points raised by his letter are relevant. It is time that management is made aware of how we, the pilot workforce, view the incompetence of the last decade of contract negotiations. BALPA is our only forum capable of acheiving this. As I have said in previous comments, oil companies will pay whatever is needed to service their industry. However, the fact that all 3 and now only 2 companies have shot each other in the foot over contract prices is as much a fault of us, the pilot workforce, as our own management. We have bent over backwards to fly that rotation in "marginal" conditions, not take our rest period out of suit, be real "company men" whilst filling in our duty hours etc etc. WHY? All we have needed to do is operate exactly by the book. Certainly, that would have given better protection against slimming down and enforced redundancies. However, back to the letter. The fact that so many are signing this letter, many of whom are capable of more eloquent pros, is to me, a sign of unity which is what we all want.
I will conclude by saying the Prune forum is good for us all to let off steam. I don't believe it harms our cause because it provides a useful conduit from the workforce to management. However, there is only one organisation ,BALPA, capable of improving our terms and conditions. I would say if you are not in, join or hold your tongue. We are so quick to criticise the CC but of course they are powerless without the majority of workforce support. If we could get our membership to around 90% or better, we would se a management who took all these comments in Prune much more seriously.
I launched a Puma into the blue,
Where he went, I have no clue,
A 61 said "I can do",
Now that buggers got lost too.
Anon!