Autofeather said:
KLMuk pilots were TUPE transferred from KLMuk to a new company called KLCuk. They brought with them an entire airline, aircraft and routes along with a management structure that has been devastated over the last few years through KLM/KLC/VNV behaviour towards its UK employees.
..........not quite correct, I'm afraid. Pilots went to KLCuk, but aircraft and routes went to KLM.
LLuke said:
KLM has indicated to the VNV they wanted to get rid of the UK bases and the UK contract. To facilitate KLM and those who rejected the mainline contract, the VNV gave permission to UK contracters to do not only flights from the hubs but also flights from AMS. I always thought this was a temporary solution to allow people to look for much better jobs with Ryanair, etc..
and
And this is how I always interpreted D&K:
It is what KLM decided. KLM wanted to quit with the hubs. KLM wants you flying ex AMS to avoid people loosing their job and says to VNV don't worry it is only temporary. VNV says OK, show me the plan on paper with numbers (blue eyes won't do.). Plan accepted and expained in D&K.
This just illustrates how KLM conned or misled the VNV, BALPA, and to a certain extent, KLC Management.
VNV were told KLCuk was a temporary entity (presumably on the assumption that everybody who rejected mainline would eventually end up in Buzz, or leave).
Balpa fought tooth and nail to keep as much of the existing t&c's and were lured by KLM into thinking that the best way to do this was via a new company called KLCuk, and TUPE. It all now seems much ado about nothing, seeing as KLM intended KLCuk only as a temporary entity.
KLC Management felt confident enough about the existence and growth of Buzz, to commit into a written agreement with the VNV about UK pilot outflow. Turns out KLM were already plotting the sale of Buzz whilst all this was going on.
So, we now arrive at a point where it is demonstrably in everyones interest to confine KLCuk to bad history and put everyone on the KLM mainline list. KLM gets rid of the UK bases they claimed to want rid off. The VNV get rid of the "dangerous loophole" uk contracts, and the UK pilots get the security and parity they deserve.