Originally Posted by Pilot Pete
You don't join, sit back and wait for BALPA to fight your battles for you. You HAVE to motivate yourselves... stand up to be counted, . What is so difficult for intelligent people to understand about the way BALPA works?
We did stand and were literally counted, albeit postally. Those who voted for BALPA did directly resist Management by refusing hire cars for lengthy positioning following flight duty. Several pilots were suspended for refusing 'dangerous or illegal rosters or unserviceable aircraft. The battle was not even about pay and T&C's but flight safety. BALPA let all the efforts down by failing to deliver their part of the bargain and seek legal recognition,
twice! BALPA were scared of the Dictator, was the view held by crews. That is still the view of most of my now redundant ex-colleagues. We 'appointed' three Rep's but all were suspended then sacked.
I reiterate that i am not convinced that BALPA deliver what they promise. It is always 'get the membership levels up, then we will be able to do something'. They didn't at Emerald, is the indisputable sorry fact of the matter. Can't see that they will uphold their end of the bargain at Jet2 even if you stand and are counted and everybody sticks their necks out.
Five or more years of dissappointment have coloured my view, i must admit, but all my best wishes to the next batch of volunteers to 'go over the top'.