Ironically this stance by BA is indicative of the attitude they hold to pilots, even if the causal link seems trivial or unimportant.
There can be no doubt that we are at the start of a sea change in our relationship with the company. BA neither wish to carry on paying the salaries to us that they do, (see GSS for what they think a 747 Captain is worth, for example), nor have to fork out for pensions for the existing staff who qualify for defined benefit schemes anymore.
This latter was nearly inevitable once we as a pilot group failed to defend the final salary principle for new joiners recently.
Furthermore you will be joining a company, (if you pay for that ticket and bring a sarnie, of course), that has deliberately run down crew numbers and then altered all the 'credit' accrued under our bidline system to create two effects. Firstly, very few people can make the required target hours per month by bidding without work levels that go straight to the legal maxima such that we have, in Long Haul, a considerable number of pilots up against the 900 hour rolling limit, and secondly, to engineer a "crisis" in work coverage at 'pinch points' like the first weekend of the new month. Guess what their proposed solution is? That BA roster you to a straight 900 hours per annum.
"Fair enough", I hear the accountant cry. Well, fine for them but try living like that. I suggest that we as an airline spend the most time away from home of any in the UK that you could work for. You face the prospect of having no meaningful input into when that occurs whatsoever over a full career. Tell that to your wife and kids.
Furthermore, due to the crew shortage, (that BA deny exists), they are still trying to destroy the bidline principle, (where you have a meaningful input into when you work), by abusing a term within it that was intended for use on a rare basis on what is now a daily occurance.
So-called 'draft assign' means BA can call you at anytime and assign you work. A day off is, essentially, meaningless, such that BA have 3000 pilots on, in effect, permanent home standby on any day off that they have that does not fall under absolute minimum CAA rest requirements.
If you want an example of the kind of new relationship with management you will 'enjoy' at BA consider that it is alleged that BA have shown that they can and will contact any one at any level on the senority list and draft assign them under any circumstances. Refusal will lead to disciplinary proceedings and the sack.
Upcoming retirees are, allegations have it, sent a letter prior to this telling him not to expect any one to greet him airside at the end of their last trip "due to the difficulty of obtaining airside passes", (for any BA pilot manager?)
And yet...............................................
given a new-found reluctance for people to answer their phones anymore BA's new tactic is to meet hapless pilots inbound off a longhaul trip and tell them thay are nabbed for draft assign. This procedure is carried out................airside! Loverly!
Where is Birdseed Air going with all this? My guess is an attempt to provoke BALPA into a strike. WALLOP! Away go all the existing contracts and in comes the NOO BA that our new chief exec so desires. If it works at Gate Gourmet.....................and if you are a conspiracy theorist, a certain chief executive at GG is also a big shareowner in Ry@nair. Seems like the Irish methodology of pilot employment is making its debut at Big Airways.
May I suggest that a plane ticket and a sandwich is, in this case, money well-saved. Virgin have a decent roster system - 750 hours per annum, and a fair overtime agreement beyond that, and more fun down route (I know, we see you!), PLUS a better new starter salary package and DC pension than we provide. Or TUI group have direct entry 737 commands and access to a DB pension scheme over time too. They too have a robust overtime working agreement.
Good luck in the job hunt and enjoy UK if you come on over. Hope your cricket team are going to give us as good a run for the money at the next Ashes series too!
Last edited by ShortfinalFred; 27th Sep 2005 at 08:13.