Originally Posted by mccdatabase
people who really need to ask themselves "do I want to continue working for this company if I get so screwed?". All I ask is please bear in mind any action the Pilot work force takes MAY have an effect on other staff in other areas,
Many pilots having witnessed the fiasco that is 'modular business model' would dearly love to give up 10+ years service and find a greener pasture, the problem is pilots work in the most ridiculous employment system in any industry (once we could have said after professional footballers but since they have sorted that contract issue we are the worst). What other professional leaving their current employer would have to start from the bottom again, irrespective of years in a job or relevant experience and depending on age may never achieve a command again. Add to that you may have to pay your current employer anything up to £12000 or so for the privilege you had of flying
their customers around and you will just start to see why the pilots want to fix the place up rather than move house.
Now notice I said their not our, that's because the company hire my licence more than the individual, the only place where the person comes into it is they chose people who they think won't rock the boat and can generally get on with the rest of the staff, particularly the ones who you will be locked in a small room with. If the employer could get away with not hiring licenced professionals they would in the same way they would like machines instead of check in staff, minimal baggage handling and automated rostering systems and so on. There is already a move towards a multicrew licenced pilot which means that person will never have had to rely on their own instincts, training and initiative where todays pilots gained much valuable experience. Modern Aircraft are easier to handle than anything from the past, all devaluing the pilot but fortunately manufacturers still keep selling them to the Russians to keep us in the fight.
Now, moving on to industrial action and SMB. If anybody really believes this scenario wasn't talked through in a board meeting with SMB at the head is out with the fairies. The only thing you can assume is the possibility of a strike ballot and a positive result was considered an acceptable risk. What is not known is how far they are prepared to allow the situation to develop, so for all BMI customers who are reporting here their intent to fly with other carriers, sad as that is, the pilots at BMI group will be in a strange way grateful. I'm sure the actual bookings are down too and when the parties meet this will be a piece of information that management will have with them to hopefully ensure a constructive meeting.
There are more pawns on a chessboard than royalty, the odd thing about BMI is the top is both King and Queen, but that shouldn't mean all the pawns have to fight amongst themselves.
Sensible debate between anybody interested enough to post and remember that the top of your organisation decides what is acceptable to try to railroad on a workforce and at what point concessions are cost effective.