I think 900 you're missing the point of the arguement. Capt K & P2Cwere not bemoaning the fact that pilots work unsociable hours and bank holidays.They were merely pointing out that we do, that our leave days include these (if you were to subtract these from our leave entitlement the leave we do get is similar to most jobs except it's bloody hard to get summer leave) and that because the media throw out erroneous figures like 40 odd days and absurd lies that we only work 17 hours a week, you shouldn't believe it.
Other workers work these also and are justifably compensated for it. I have no problem with that and don't understand why anyone would begrudge that we are also.
I am a professional, I have trained hard and continue to train to do the job I am employed to do. It is a highly skilled, often stressful job but I enjoy what I do. There seems to be a mixture of old fashioned Irish begrudgery (at which we excel), ignorance and a desire by some on this forum to say that pilots should allow their pay, terms and conditions to be eroded until we earn minimum wage and work at the whim of our employer.
When I visit a surgeon I will pay top dollar to get the best. If I need a solicitor I will get the best I can afford. When I fly I want to fly with a professional, safety oriented airline, not one who hires anybody as long as they are cheap.
This race to the bottom has to stop, otherwise it will reach rock bottom and then those complaining here will then complain about shoddy standards in aviation and how this could be allowed to happen and why they allow monkies to fly planes.
You pay peanuts...... You continually erode your staff's working conditions you stop getting professionally minded people.
Would anyone else on here be happy if their employer unilaterally imposed changes to AGREED working conditions without consultation? Would you accept it and not protest? Would you happily bend over and take it? If so go work for Ryanair. MOL would love to see you.