Traffic, Traffic, Traffic.
I know a bit about traffic; my family having done an aileron role in a Prado on a roundabout in Dubai. It sucks but there is nothing EK can do about it. Whoever talked about the bucket theory got it right. Traffic is a major contributor to the sh1t bucket and for many the cash has ceased outweighing it.
From my point of view, the payrise is welcome but it disappoints me that it wasn't just a blanket 'take 20% boys'. That would be nice, I wouldn't have the feeling that some (not particularly smart) bean counter thinks he is pulling a fast one.
Instead we get flying pay which is variable and non-pensionable thus saving the company cash or denying the full effect of the rise. Why so cynical? Over the last few years we have lived through the 'cost neutral' scam. It actually was 'cost neutral' if everyone flew to the hourly limit without overtime. Since then however, we have often ended up with 75hrs block in a month when we have taken 7 days leave and had our PPC. This is how they changed our credit rules:
{Written in 2004.} 42 days leave, 10 training days, 30 hrs dead heading and 10 standbys/year. Under the old system that would have added up to about 205 hrs of credit. The reduction in overtime trigger off-sets about 76 hrs. So every pilot loses about 130hrs of potential overtime/year i.e. 52k/yr for Captains and 37k for F/Os.
So overall, a brilliant strategy by management. The company saves money and we all work harder. Individuals may be better off in the short term but it seems that the pilot group contract has just taken about a 15% pay cut for the same amount of work.
YYZ,
1. No more DEC's
2. Give us back use of the jumpseat.
3. 2 ALT's per year.
4. Pay us for training/sim days
Small beer really. DECs has been a disaster unless you got in as one. Use of the jump seat will help on some flights but not on the big commuter routes because the cockpit is already full. 2 ALTs/year, why not. Pay for the training/sim.... Aaaah, return to the status quo and give us back the 15% that was removed 3 years ago, now there is an idea. Perhaps it has been done with the new flying pay scheme but with the proviso that we will still get worked to the limit.
I am delighted to get a raise. I don't think it will stop guys leaving or make guys jump at EK. Most people don't make their decision on whether to join a company based just on money unless they are comparing 2 companies working in the same country or that have the same working conditions. Mind you there is a guy on the EK forum who thinks EK is the best. If I get him right its because the hosties are all young and as a singly living on the SZR he doesn't need his car to get to their appartments for a shag.
Were I to make a change I'd see if commuting rosters were feasible for those that want to do it. (That wouldn't even cost money but it would stop the Aussie/Brit/SA brigade whining at me) I'd also make overtime optional rather than compulsory; that was the biggest knock to our lifestyle and that is what changed with the old credit scam. The company have worked us harder for less cash and have under-resourced the pilot workforce ever since.
Ghost