Well, Bristows had a pay meeting the other day. Not very well attended as usual.
Anyway, without giving too much away we'll looking for a good rise. However, confidence in BALPA was once again knocked when the BALPA rep, who we pay for, started to pack up his things and buggered off to catch a flight to London long before the meeting ended. Would it really of been too much to get him to stay overnight so at least he could have attended the whole meeting. Considering that most of us pay between £300 and £500 a year for the privilege of being in BALPA then this really is taking the piss.
I'm certainly starting to question what exactly we are getting for our money from BALPA and if they don't come up trumps this year then I see no reason to stay in it. In fact I think I'll apply to join the MSF. They're cheaper, less arrogant, have better professional representation at a local level and seem to actually care about their members. From what I've seen of the BHL BALPA reps they're about to enter these pay negotiations with a defeatist attitude.
Come on BALPA get your act together and prove to the helicopter world that you can represent us just as well as you represent the fixed wing world.