9mtl Thanks for your comments. I have worked for an extremely unionised company for ten years. I know I am considered as both enthusiastic but also militant by management. I defend my rights as I'm sure you do.
I am sure you were once in the Ill do anything brigade as was every other successful pilot. But it was the responsibility of those before you, before you joined your current company and now in turn your responsibility to defend the terms and conditions of the new starters and those about to join.
All those starting out have imence respect of the experienced pilots, that is without question. But it is also up to experienced pilots to express the importance of resolutions being voted on to those who are fresh in the company and don't know any better and not just using them as an excuse for losing to the company.
I take it from your last statement you lobbied your union and were prepared to ballot for strike action to prevent the terms of conditions for new starters deteriorating, for instance closing the final salary pension scheme to them several years ago? Or did you infact secretly think I'm all right jack. You through lack of action allowed terms and conditions of new starters to erode long before your own are now being attacked. New starters don't have any sway with negotiating changes to terms and conditions, its the companies way or the highway, when signing a contract. No one is at fault but the current pilot community for allowing their employers to set up schemes such as self sponsored type training for wannabees. You allowed the changes because it wouldn't affect you directly unfortunately a few years since that lack of action has passed and now your terms and conditions are in the firing line. There is no one to blame but the lack of proactivity from the members of the unions. A union is only as effective as its members. Whether it be AMICUS, BASSA (cabin crew), BALPA or IALPA.
Passing resolutions to allow changes to conditions of new starters is always the thin end of the wedge and has come back to bite everyone in the arse not just the new guys.
As an engineer, we are in the same boat where lack of trust of our own union reps, which we now call management liason officers is predominant. No one is prepared to put their head above the parapit, not knowing if they will be supported, but whose fault is that? Mine and every other engineer for allowing it to happen. We are forever told our manpower turn-over is less than 5 percent and 10 percent is the norm, infering there is room to deteriorate our terms and conditions further as we must still be happy. Career airlines are few and far between and set to join 15 day barbados trips in the history book, as they are not efficient from a companies point of view. It is the duty of the companies current employees to keep it a career airline.. and in your company that means you.
We don't blame people looking to become engineers, and none of us blame new starters it is OUR own fault of inactivity, at least we have the grace not to blame others for our mistakes.
I apologise that this has left the topic of bmi selection.
Last edited by PaulW; 30th Dec 2006 at 13:44.
Reason: Late night lack of grammar