Bymonek,
I am glad you see my point. Now, when WW states that FTLs are always on the boarderline, he is not far from the truth. However, I will concede that things have improved a little in the past month or so. What is/has happened is that the Bus drivers have been rostered to 90-100hrs per month for the past two years...month after month. And to make it all the more exciting some months went to 130-140hrs when the dreaded factoring was employed. So what!!! I hear you say...well these high hour months, have also had min days off...ie 8 to 9, and legal min turn around times between flights. Now this takes some very special rostering to be able to do this....and does wonders for fatigue and health. But it is now coming home to bite the company in the butt, as fellas in large numbers have now flown all they are allowed to..hence the roster problem discussed before.
To put it in terms that you understand, consider flying the DXB-SIN-BNE-AKL-BNE-SIN-DXB pattern. Then having one or two days off then doing it all over again, and so on and so on, for 2 years straight. Now the number of nights per pattern for the Bus guys is far less, the the hours in the tube, and the time zone changes (but they happen a bit more quickly and are a larger change) are the same. When a group of days off was finally given, imagine the joy of seeing them interrupted with a midnight DOH!!
And as you stated there is the overtime. This is true. But wouldn't it be nice if the company could arrange rosters to give the fellas some time off to spend it!!! Luckily the Bus drivers, and soon to be the Boeing crews as well, when the rest area arrives, will not have to worry about provident funds and the like, as I do not think that these rosters, and old age are compatable.
Now if only the company for could some more thick B@rstards like us to join, we would have enough crews to make it all work.
Here endeth the lesson.
Don