………So the Direct Employment “honeymoon” is over and the police bean counters have decided to ignore the maxim that 'you only get what you pay for' and are now trying to get their pilots even more cheaply.
When it came along a few years ago (carried along in the shirt tails of “Best Value”) direct employment originally saved the Feds cash while at the same time giving their experienced, loyal pilots a much needed salary boost when compared to their contractor pay.
Now direct employers are reining in on costs with veiled threats to their pilot workforce to lump it otherwise the air support units (and thus the pilots jobs) could be at stake! (even though the pilots salaries are only a small part of the overall cost)
It is even rumoured some units presently changing to direct employment are going to offer the pilots packages that will be lower than their present contractor remuneration!
This is indeed a sorry state for the onshore industry to be in.
‘Offshore’ got it right in 2001 and 2005; professionally led pay negotiations with benchmarking against the fixed wing sector. ( Even so, as of last week in Aberdeen, where in 2007 for the first time a line pilot will break through the £100k ceiling, it is rumoured that Bristows are still short of 19 pilots and CHC are short 24!)
NLJ. If its any help to you in your police beancounter negotiations, I understand the CAA have recently engaged consultants to carry out a “census” of commercial pilots salaries in the UK, in all sectors of the industry both fixed and rotary wing. I think the results are due soon.