Goede Dag Lluke
Some facts to put the situation in context:
The UK pilots are employed by KLCuk. They are subcontracted to work for KLM Cityhopper bv. KLM Cityhopper bv does not employ pilots itself; they also subcontract pilots in from KLM RDA.
The UK pilots currently have filed a grievance against KLM Cityhopper bv on the basis that they are being discriminated against compared to the KLM RDA pilots they currently share cockpits with. The KLM RDA contract pilots have the right to leave Cityhopper and take KLM RDA positions. The UK pilots do not.
Discrimination is a criminal offence in The Netherlands and the discrimination can be halted by either giving the UK pilots the same rights as their NL cockpit colleagues or by ensuring that the NL pilots have the same rights as their UK colleagues. Which would you prefer ?
By the way the VNV do have an infuence on the UK contract because they made the Duin and Kruidberg Accoord which, amongst other things, requires that no more pilots be recruited into KLCuk and that pilots will leave KLCuk at a given rate. The effect of no recruitment is to completely destroy the seniority concept (in KLCuk) because for seniority to work as intended, there must be a flow of pilots.
By ensuring that there are no more UK pilots recruited it also commits KLCuk to having a finite life. There are approximately 140 UK pilots now - what will the number have to drop to before the company is closed down ? I'd bet my pension (hahaha) that it wont still exist when only 1 pilot remains. What is the magic number ? I don't want to wait until it's too late before I find out.
By agreeing to the VNV demands, KLCuk and KLM Cityhopper bv are again discriminating against the UK pilots.
I know that when KLM have bought companies in the past (Netherlines, KLM ERA Helicopters) the integration of seniority lists has been painful but solutions have been found. The KLCuk pilots want a solution to the problem that KLM RDA, KLM Cityhopper bv and the VNV have given them. Not unreasonable I think.
Tot so