Originally Posted by Banzai Eagle
Dont worry the Pilots will be looked after and paid massive amounts to work on their days off and save the company subchartering out.
Q Why not give them less days off and put them on SBY?
Please be assured that the huge majority of flight deck are sympathetic to the stupidity you guys are being forced to endure. The very simple fact is that the union has negotiated both our flexi working (working on a day off) and days off deals.
The £750 per day tale is false. Someone either (very stupidly and insensitively) pulling yer pud or just an urban myth. The rate for a Capt is @£525 gross - a hell of a lot more than COP I agree but then again, union negotiated. Like it or not, 1 FD missing = no flight. 1 CC missing = usually minimum crew. Tight Slot has alluded to Social Sickness. I can't find it in my heart to slag off you guys who do it, loyalty is a two way thing and I don't see much coming your way from on high at present. For all sorts of reasons, it is not as big an issue for FD numbers.
Secondly, we do do STBY. We can volunteer for it which means you can plan your life ahead, the bid is done months in advance, the advantage being that there are set days off associated with each block of STBY. If there aren't enough volunteers, they are allocated supposedly months in advance again but occasionally rostered in just the same way. We can bank on working the lot and if MAN or LGW better pack a suitcase and find a book on things to do in NCL, CWL etc etc etc. Again, BALPA have pushed for all this and for such things as Block Windows.
We are extemely privileged to have the T&Cs we have as FD. Having listened to your BASSA reps down route, you have a really hard working bunch of people desparately trying to get good deals for you but there are some stumbling blocks: With the best will in the world, reps are enthusiastic amateurs (I mean that in a respectful way) up against proeffsional management. IT will be an unequal battle and if I may be blunt, there are enough CC around who don't give the reps the support they need to make a difference. Divide and Rule is a very powerful tool and the company use it to it's full extent. There seem to be a lot of experts on BASSAs shortcomings who go real quiet come standing as a rep.
In short, thanks to you all for your contribution to making my life bearable every time I go to work. Get behind your union and please, pretty please with milk and a little sugar, don't have a go at flight deck, it is beneath you no matter how understandably frustrated you are.
