APMR,
I happen to agree with the old bloke in regard to the payment of RDO's and designated days off.
As pilots, we're not Lawyers, but this one's relatively simple if you break it down and as requested I'll only refer initially to the clauses posted but I will need to refer to the document after my first points as I can't remember all the clauses. Also, the old bloke forgot to preface 2 of the clauses in post number 20 as being in the Schedule attactment, so I'll include these for clarity.
1. In regard to what it shows on you roster, yes, either when at home or away there'll be an "O" marked for the day.
2. Clause 3.18 defines a day off at home as"Designated Day Off"; you are entitled to 8 of these in a 28 day roster period. These are the days you get to see the wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend/friend with priveledges, etc. at you home base.
3. Schedule C, Clause 1.8.11 makes a statement about a day free of duty for rostering purposes;ie CAO requirements; think Flight Inspection deployments of greater than 1 week; we can not work continously for the 2 to 3 weeks we can be away; so we have to be rostered with an "O" on whatever day is necessary. It specificly states that these are not "Designated Days Off at Home Base" but days free of duty for rostering purposes.
4. Schedule C, Clause 1.9.3 States that "Designated Days Off" require mutual agreement to change. Hence, the RDO payment must be made as you are changing/giving up a day off at home(ie with your family/friends/pets/mates, etc) these are at the company's request, so they will pay you for this sacrifice/ impossition on you lifestyle.
Now, the question is when will the company pay when you for working on a day off.
In definitions you will find that the document has in clause 3.18 "Designated days off" and clause 3.41 "Rostered Duty Free Day"; so there are in fact 2 types of days were you can have "O" on the roster. One at home, the other away or conceiveably/possibly a day off at home if it is in addition to the 8 days out of 28 at home in the roster period( I don't know about you but more that 8 days off at home are very, very rare).
Schedule C 1.8.9 states when an RDO payment will be made; it states that only when a pilot works on a "Designated Day Off" and a pilot has agreed to work on that day will they be paid.
So, when you break it down like that, there are/can be, 2 types of defined "O" days on your roster. One that the company will pay you for if you agree to change it, and the other for which there is no mention for them either requiring them to ask you to change the day or making a payment to you for having the change made.
Now, you may say that seeing as it isn't stated in the document that the company must ask you to work on a day rostered free of duty, that it's implied that they will ask you to work on that day, or that as you're working an "O" day(day rostered free of duty) whilst away from home base that they'll pay you. Well, all I can say to that is, if it isn't written down, then it isn't enforcable. Hence, Olderairhead's comments regarding the payment of RDO's and my agreement with them.
As background, there is an ongoing grievance between the company and one of the Flight Inspection pilots(that MB is well aware off as he was here when it started) over the payment of an RDO incurred because of a change it operational requirements on a deployment.
If I've been able to clarify that for you great, PM me and I'll send you my bank account details(these RDO payments will be tax free to me I assume
); if not then we'll agree to disagree.