What is wrong with AWA's you ask. Let me tell you.
1. The contract can be cancelled by either party with 90 days written notice for no reason. The fall back conditions will be the appropriate industry award. In the case of one particular jet operator the award includes a drop of base salary from circa $125K down to 96K for Captains.
2. The employer is not abliged to offer the same negotiated conditions for new employees. In the case of one particular jet operator this has seen new starts offered an AWA with:
First Officers base salary cut from circa 75K to $61K
From this reduced salary a salary sacrifice of $15K over 2 years to cover some of the endorsement costs and
a 3 year/ $30K bond.
Together with no overtime for the first year and no consumer price indexing of base salary to name a few "alterations".
The behaviour by the management has included, but not been limited to:
Phoning new recruits the evening before their final simulator check and threatening to cancel the check if they do not sign the AWA. They all signed;
Cancelling the AWA of a current line pilot because they refused to sign a bonding clause. The result is a $15,000 pay drop onto the award as described above. Note that this behaviour IS NOT ILLEGAL, it was tested in court and within the guidelines of the new IR laws.
You may reflect on what is to come when the economy turns if this is what can be achieved in the current economic conditions.
Last edited by illusion; 11th May 2007 at 18:54.