Originally Posted by
disconnected
Like I said - It happens every year. And every year without fail EK has got more work for less money. That's an absolute Directive to Management. Their own jobs depend on it.
8 or 9 years ago, the company announced a program by which they would reduce their unit costs on the order of 17% annually (I'm going by memory - if anyone remembers the exact figures, let us know). As far as I know, they are still doing this. In the beginning most of the reductions came through the use of bigger aircraft. Now those cost reductions are harder to come by and that is why much of their efforts are focused on the employees (pay and productivity). It's not just the pilots that are getting this. Talk to the employees in many of the departments and you will hear similar tales of retention and recruitment problems, overwork and underpayment. There is little sympathy around the company for our fatigue problems because in their eyes, at least we have regulations that limit what they can do to us. As the cost of fuel has risen, that 17% has to come from somewhere. The 380's were going to provide some of their cost savings in the coming year. I can't wait to see where it's going to come from now. Even if they do give us a payrise, I wonder how they plan on making it up.