I like the way people refer to a 'B' payscale for the European bases as though it has just been invented. Hello, it's already here. Don't believe me, well what do you call this....
'A' Scale
Our salaries and benefits
Agreement to be effective from 1/4/04 and valid until 1/10/05
Basic Salary
Captain £66,938
Captain £60,244 (1st 6 months)
Senior First Officers £40,584
Senior First Officers £36,526 (1st 6 months)
First Officer (frozen ATPL) £33,060
First Officer (frozen ATPL) £29,754 (1st 6 months)
Please note that you will receive 90% of your basic salary during the first 6 months of your employment.
Additionally, all internal promotions to the left hand seat will also receive 90% of Captain’s basic salary from the date of successful Final Line Check as a Captain, for a period of 6 months based on the date of commencement of Command Conversion, irrespective of the date on which Command is taken up.
'B' Scale
The Type Rating Sponsorship Scheme salary scales, which will apply for the first 5 years of your employment, are detailed below:
RANK (attained within sponsored period) TRRS basic salary (5 yrs)
First Officers £28,060
Senior First Officers £35,584
Captains £61,938
Basic salary if rank attained within the first five years of employment.
Please note that you will receive 90% of your basic salary during the first six months of your employment.
No bonus in there either for the 'B' scale F/O's. At least a third of the F/O's & SF/O's are already on it, some recent Captains have dragged it with them to the left hand seat. It's called TRSS and it is an abomination in our industry. (Don't forget our F/O 'C' scaler cadets down there in the basement slaving away for their portion of gruel) Where were you all when this was introduced? Oh it's OK it is only for the inexperienced new guys, they will be happy just to have a job! Wrong, two or three years ago a lot of these people weren't offered any other option but TRSS, regardless of the experience level they brought to the company. Yes they were happy to have the chance of a job, but a lot already had enough experience to gain a command within a year or two and the company showed how much they appreciated that experience by nailing them with TRSS or nothing. A lot of these people have been voting with their feet and taking their lack of experience to carriers who have a bit more vision (and possibly experience of their crewing requirements). EasyJet could have kept a lot of these people and plugged the now gaping holes in their crewing schedule by showing them the professional respect of paying them at the approriate level. Instead they have created a group of employees on subsistence wages when compared to their colleagues, who don't feel valued and with little loyalty to easyJet. It is no wonder that they are leaving. easyJet can't even hang on to it's new Captain's who are on the 'A' scale, which says volumes for our unique orange culture (unique all right!). It would be interesting to see how many have left for the RH seat of another airline inside the first 12 months of their command!
How do they fix it? I agree with 347.5, stop TRSS. People should get behind that just like they don't want different European pay scales. I won't hold my breath when it comes to reimbursing people already on TRSS, but they could surely get rid of the payscale differences to encourage the people they already have to stay. These two things will surely help with recruitment and retention. A fair pay deal to reflect the hard work, professionalism and productivity of the current crews in easyJet would go a long way towards making this the so called career airline that the management keep talking about. (don't forget about sorting out leave (amount and how you get it) and a roster pattern that won't kill you after a couple of years)
'it ain't easy being orange' ... not at the moment anyway!