If I remember correctly you had many more pilots in the club in 2001 and again if I remember correctly you voted over 90% in favour of industrial action. Less than 10% carried it out and we terminated 5% of them. The pilots now have less club members after many hundreds of pilots joined the company. Yes much has changed since 2001.
If the HKAOA announces a “work to rule” campaign, we will select a few pilots that step out of line. We will run a D&G and will find those pilots not acting in the best interest of The Cathay Pacific Group and will be terminated immediately.
At that time, all of the pilots will be running to save their own self as in the past. Do you actually think you can get the pilots to report sick or on a so called strike until those pilots get their jobs back. I think we been through this before and the pilots lost and WE won. In that context, nothing has changed or will ever change.
We have all pilots living in fear of losing their job. In most cases we put a letter on a pilots P-file and that is usually enough. If not, these pilots are called in to speak to a Manager about the situation i.e. not flying the freighter, not reducing rest, not using discretion, not answering the phone, sickness management, etc. The pilots at the Cathay Pacific Group are very intimidated and that is what the 49ers situation has created.
Do you expect The Management of The Cathay Pacific Group to believe there will be a rebellion of the pilots?
We have some bad apples still in the pilot group and you seem to be one. Most pilots now work in favour of The Cathay Pacific Group through intimidation of course. We still have many pilots willing to help out OUR Company in whatever way Crew Control/Managers will ask of them. Our Flying Pilot Managers are only too happy to intimidate the crew, it can be very subtle, call to the office, or very harsh, with the threat of a D&G procedure. That is what we pay them for.
We have read all the literature before about “union that they deserve”. It does not work here.
We must admit, in 2001 we thought we may have another 1999 on our hands but by firing the 51 pilots that effectively ended that sort of behaviour in the pilot group. Many pilots still flew even though we threatened them with a sign or be fired. Many signed the critical mass list within the first few hours. We know the character of the pilots and that will not change.
If you would like to leave for any of those companies that you have mentioned, leave. The Cathay Pacific Group is still the best career job, if not the only career job, in Asia and most other parts of the world. Yes we will lose some to the UPS’s and Fed Ex's but that is only a token few. There are always pilots that cannot get hired with these companies or are too old to return to their home country to start over. We have most pilots where we want them, obedient and poor.
We have a list of all owner occupiers and most have expenses in their home countries We know most pilots are over extended in the financial situation and cannot afford to lose their jobs. If one cannot afford to lose ones job, then one will follow in the best interest of the company i.e. as mentioned above. How many can do without housing allowance for a month?
When you threaten to “work to rule” we know it is only pilot cowardliness. We know the pilots and it will not happen. If it does, a few will reap the consequences.
Remember we have many applications to join The Cathay Pacific Group. We have a Great Training Department and more are joining the Training Department every month. There is always someone junior willing to jump the ranks for a training position. As I have said before, it is a sought after position and well paid in The Cathay Pacific Group.
If pilots leave, we will upgraded the ones WE see fit. The junior pilots long for more to leave so their upgrades will come sooner. There are numerous pilots out there, many would adore to have a window seat in a Cathay Pacific Wide Bodied Jet. Don’t under estimate that.
As for productivity, Crew Scheduling is more efficient to obtain additional productivity and NO you do not deserve more pay for that gain. The pilot group waived their rights to 5-4-3 protection and that is OUR gain. We introduced 3 man ULH on Auckland and Anchorage, integrated patterns, work stacking, etc. Like I said before, the pilot group is Industrial Challenged to say the least or Industrial Dimwits as we like to call it in Management. If you are foolish enough to vote for the agreements, don’t come back to us Managers whinging about pay after the fact.
We will offer a pittance for more Industrial gains and we will pit one group against the other. We will introduce 3 man ULH in Europe. Most will vote for it as it does not affect them and will obtain a increase in pay for it. Then we will introduce 3 man ULH to other base areas. Those on the 3 man crew base i.e. New Zealand and Europe, will vote to bludgeon the other bases. Very simple. We have being doing this for years and still you act as greedy pilots doing our work for us. Keep it up, we are relying on you.
We are approaching the CAD with the data on controlled in-seat resting. The HKCAD is very close to agreeing with The Cathay Pacific Group on this matter. When controlled in-seat resting is approved, which will be in the near future, WE will operate 1 captain, 1 first officer and 1 second officer to Europe. One will rest in the bunk and the other will use controlled in-seat resting. That is to ensure that two pilots are rested for landing. The HKCAD realises this is how most other airlines operate and is good for business for The Cathay Pacific Group. Most airlines operator 15 hours (scheduled sector time) with 3 man crew. For the time being, flights over 15 hours scheduled sector time will retain 4 man crew, but that will change.
This is the future and we will start our intense pilot education on these matters in the Q3 of this year on how this will benefit the pilots and the extra money you will receive in return.
Here's to hoping for A scale captains.
To my huge year end BONUS and I wish to thank you dimwits for it.
The Management