hmmmm..........
KLM'er said...
What i am supprised about is how some of my ex-KLMuk colleagues bully and ostracise me on an everyday occurance since i signed the new contract, i would love to know how i have personally changed and deserve this. One cant even go into the old NH (AIRuk bar) Hotel without getting abuse.
Maybe thats your personal experience, but mine is vastly different. I have had no problems whatsoever, and what type of contract I am on, is quite simply never an issue. Everybody appreciates that each persons circumstances at the time of signing the KLM contract were different, and dictated what choices we made. No doubt some people regret not taking the offer at the time, and may be slightly envious, having seen now that it was not the doom and gloom forecast by others.By and large, I have experienced no animosity. The usual crew room type banter? Yes. Animosity? No.
However, if you are the type to flaunt your own good fortune in the face of other peoples adversity,
, abuse, bullying and being obstracised are all to be expected.
NOW BACK TO THE THREAD
In my opinion, the catalyst for the current mess is that 3 or 4 years ago, KLM successfully created a blackhole called KLCuk, and used "TUPE" to lure a large number of pilots into it. By creating this smokescreen, they avoided the type of negotiations that they frequently enter into (and come out second best in) with the VNV. BALPA fell into a carefully laid trap that resulted in them percieving success in maintaining the status quo for most of the pilots, without realising that in reality, an opportunity to negotiate wholesale changes for the betterment of (and parity) the pilot workforce as a whole had been missed. It is those much needed changes that I feel are at the root of the current standoff.
Whilst it is also fashionable to make the VNV the scapegoat, lets remember that BALPA do not negotiate with the VNV. BALPA and the VNV both negotiate with KLM, and it is for KLM to mediate in and coordinate the stated objectives and demands of both unions. Neither the VNV or BALPA can be blamed for making demands that are in their members best interests, even if this is potentially to the detriment of the other union. There is no problem that can not be solved,.....it is the cost or acceptability of the solution that sometimes precludes it from being reached.
I wish BALPA all the very best in the current standoff, and in the current CC they have the right men for the task. It saddens me to see colleagues being mis-treated and discriminated against.
Muscle flexing like this by BALPA would have been much more effective 2 or 3 years ago, but better late than never. I have also heard that there are demands on both sides that are quite simply, excessive or unreasonable. I cant comment either way, but suggest that being realistic in your demands makes it easier to reach a solution....and remember, it is KLM that you have a 'beef' with, not the VNV.