Originally Posted by
Flying Fred
Eddy, thanks for continuing to post. I await your reply to my 40% question with interest
Fred, my dear fellow, I thought I already had.
The twelve points listed INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO the reasons why the strike has been called.
As previously mentioned, the uncertainty over hourly rate is another major issue that's being discussed but, as it's not technically on the table right now, it can't be listed as one of the strike points (I believe that's a legal thing).
The comapny put hourly rate on the table and swiftly removed it, but we can't live with the uncertainty over when it will be re-visited. Hourly rate would have a MASSIVE impact on my earnings, unless we got a deal similar to that offered to my flight crew colleagues.
I would personally welcome a shift to hourly rate if it was done on mutually agreeable terms. I'd welcome the removal of box payments IF the money was put in to the pot and distributed through the hourly amount.
By doing this, people would start requesting trips they actually wanted because they enjoyed the place as opposed to purely for the financial gain. Lots of people love India but try and aboid it because it's worth about 40 quid. If these trips suddenly became worth the same money as a New York or a Chicago, you'd probably find people happier to be flying there and see a lot less people ringing sick for the poorly paid trips.
Yes, Singapore would be worth much, much less, but things would be evened out over the month and you'd be a lot less reliant on getting a long range trip to bring home a decent pay packet.
The reason this isn't being agreed to at this point is that the company aren't willing to guarantee that either the boxes will remain or that the money will be re-distributed.
Bear in mind that we can only do 2000 duty hours a year. On the 2.40 (or whatever - I know it's about that) an hour rate that could be a maximum of just 4,800 a year extra on top of my maximum 14k pay packet. Thats the most I'd EVER earn if the hourly rate was passed through on the company terms.
The reps have said it themselves - let US set the terms (but ensuring they're agreeable to the company - i.e. not costing any more than we do already) for hourly rate and we'll accept the proposal.