Hi All,
Just to clear one thing up, SS and BM did not operate the flight back from CPT. True they did the minimum rest thing, but they were down there to carry out an audit of operations and flew back business class!
With regard to the unions, I have found that none of them are any good and I have had personal experience.
When I was with another company, during a dispute, the BALPA did absolutely nothing. The sat on the sidelines and watched as my rights were continually ignored or abused and ACAS protocol was ignored and even the company’s own employer manual was blatantly ignored. After that I joined another company and subscribed to the TGWU. Following another difference of opinion the TGWU at least turned up but it became apparent that they did not have the qualifications or calibre to deal with the problem. Airline pilots are obviously not their bag and they are more comfortable with bus conductors or railway porters etc. I took over the case myself and bought a good employment solicitor who made a settlement deal of over twenty times what the TGWU tried to get me to take.
The IPA faired no better, I have never been a member but my brother has. When Excalibur went out of business he went to see them to find out where he stood and they suggested that he consider another career!!
The Unions, who are supposed to support us in fact do nothing but produce copulas quantities of hot air and carbon dioxide that in my opinion rivals the emissions of the entire British Airways fleet! To make my point I give you their track record so far in dealing with another pertinent problem, that of the disgraceful way we are currently being treated by airport security at the moment. I think we all know what the arguments are regarding that, yet the BALPA sit on the fence and continue to add nothing to anything but global warming. They are but a bunch of parasites!!
The way forward I think is to start our own Flight Crew Council, which encompasses both the pilots and the cabin crew, since they are just as much, if not more so, affected by what is going on. Any subs could be used to purchase an insurance policy for legal representation if such becomes necessary.
The way forward is to prove to the company the value of goodwill and the financial shortfalls that exist due to some of the decisions being made. Eg. Leaving the aircraft on the ground in CPT for 30 hours a week when in fact sense dictates that if the aircraft were to return to the UK it could be used for something else in that time, or made available for sub-charter or at least be available to the engineers to sort out some of the cabin defects mounting up, in readiness for the forthcoming summer season.
There is a way of setting up a Flight Crew Council that would not leave anyone vunerable to victimisation by the company. PM me for more details if you are interested.
Let us never forget the most important people in this, our customers. Without them there is no company anyway. The misery currently being displayed is bound to have an effect on the 'product' and it is vital that this be sorted in the least possible time, since we never get a second chance to make a first impression.
The low cost airline busines is particularly cut-throat. Aircraft operating costs are about the same thus so are the profits. The difference that seperates one company from another thus is simply down to the good-will of the staff and the company must learn this lesson and fast!!
In the words of the man from Wynwith who employs many of us. "By the end of this year there will only be two kinds of aircraft operator, those with the pilots and those without." The company must, therefore, decide what kind of aircraft operator they wish to be!!