Whilst crisis is a bit dramatic there are very serious issues. The FS pension has been discussed but there is also the issue of Terms and Conditions for new joiners, which are still well below our peers.
The Company coersed the CC, and with their recommendation the existing pilot workforce, into believing that they reflect the industry standard. They do not. I have yet to fly with a colleauge who is aware of the gap between our T&C's and those of TCX / FCA / BAL with whom we should be compared, not EZY and RYR as PB would have us believe.
Many people are not aware that new joiners don't get PHI. How do you feel about going to the loo knowing the person next to you is too frightend to go to the doc's about those chest pains because if his medical gets pulled his family are destitute? Did the voting members know at the time of the ballot that FCA's pay point 1 is equivalent to MON pay point 6, with their main pay scale matching our B scale?
The company may have been able to recruit 70 people but how many will stay when bonds are served? Will MON become a transient Airline where people gain experience and move on to a company offering a pension they will be able to retire on and an instant 10% payrsie on respective paypoint 1's? Or perhaps worse feel trapped into working for a company they openly resent. Whilst the management are self congratulatory about the companies "excellent retention record" they must realise that this WAS based on excellent renumeration. Would you fly the same aircraft, on the same routes, for a package worth 25% less than your mates in other co's, just for the honour of wearing a MON uniform?
I too feel under represented by the Union and CC, and whilst there is a massive imbalance between the numbers of voting members on the respective renumeration packages, will probably continue to do so. Like any democaracy Unions protect the majority.
I have no compunction about "airing dirty washing" on this subject as I wish I had this information when I joined.