With every story there are two sides.
White pointer tells us to compromise and think of the junior crew and that career progression is a dead duck.
Yet the company are about to get a huge number of aircraft which will require a corresponding increase in crew.
What will happen with the current junior crew in regards to the newly hired crew.Will they then say OK lets forget about seniority and be fair to the 'new junior' crew.....I doubt it.
White Pointer...During the debate about the New York slip the company replaced a number of Australian crew before the vote was taken.
This was obviously a scare tactic and was typical of how the company regards cabin crew.
White Pointer..You made the point that a NO vote would have us lose jobs to the Kiwis and only a YES vote would stop it.
Well,what happened..the slip did not get back in and the kiwi's still did the job.
Australian Cabin Crew did not even get a thanks for trying to improve flexibility.
So what did voting YES get you?....Nothing..Squat..Zilch...
The company during SARS asked us to accept a reduction in crew to help out.
Did the company ever give the crew member back...NO
This seniority issue comes up again simply because the company wants crew to accept the new bid system.The same usual people who suggest we give in are back in town waving the seniority flag yet again.
As far as the LHR base is concerned most of us agree that the basic tenet was to lower or reduce the conditions of Australian based crew.
You only have to look at what LHR trips Australian crews get and the reduced slip and what trips and slips the LHR based crew get.
As far as Australian crew going up there it is a little like collaborating with the enemy.You are helping them out in reducing the conditions of Australian crew.
You can stick your head in the sand and say but I am only one person but in the end everyone who goes up there helps the company out.
The company has never been interested in helping crew out by improving the bid system.The reserve system and demand days are a joke.
You have to understand that any new system will be like a new company super scheme.It will never be as good for the employees as the previous plan because if it was the company would not have wanted it.
Look at all ways to become more cost effective but be wary of any new bid or work system.
Even the surrender monkeys who voted YES to get rid of the 75% system we used to have before bidding were astounded at the difference between what the company told them and what the company did after the new system was introduced.