v89
I agree with some of what you say, not other bits. Obviously your perception of some in Ivory towers is much better than mine given your personal experiences. You are right - it's not fair to tarnish everyone with the same brush, but the latest sales technique of walking around checking "sell, sell sell" has wound me up more than the "would you like the extended warranty" sales pitch you get in comet, currys !!
Maybe that is why they have been instructed to stop trying to sell it now... I guess I am not alone in having been wound up by this.
As for asking for more %, no that's not it... I have said before what I would vote YES for and it;s not a million miles off what is on the table now.
My wish list is still...
4.8 as offered this year.
Next year RPI (however add a minimum value of x%, lets say 3.5% as the company has used this in the pay demonstration) that way if RPI drops to 1.8% next year - year 2 does not attract only a 1.8% pay rise.
Trip pay increase for Juniors and seniors needs to be increased a little I feel, as they appear to have been passed over.
Variable manning, binned - cant believe the union even started paving this road ! (edited to add - why not turn the idea on its head, listen to this , instead of when a flight has a light load and reducing the crew count to offer the same service to pax. Why not offer them a supreme service, extra pampering more attention because there are more crew members to do it - even if it just gets a few more pax next year because they told their friends of the good experience or they fly with us again !!??) -- I know it's all about cost cutting but how about looking at it from a different angle - it would be magic touches eat your heart out. That way also when a flight is variable manned and suddenly the loads increase DOH ! we are not crew down as the crew have been assigned to somethign else.
Crew down - hefty payouts - similar to BA - We are talking serious money here, now this isn't so we make more money as crew members, it's so the company employs the correct amount of crew - we would be happier on flights fully crewed and the customer experience would be better - lets face it anything to make the customer experience better - new lounges, new limos, dedicated T3 walkways to lounges, how about plain old simple enough crew to service all their needs !?
If those 4 things were changed then I would vote YES, but right now I still feel we are being sold short, but again it's my personal opinion.
Then for next years talks I would like to address;
Restructure airshare to similar as flight crew have (turnover related not profit - we are going to make nothing on this as the company reinvests in itself or Nigeria !)
Restructure Allowances to discourage swapping of trips due to different revenues in each destination. Several options, duty pay, band each destination e.g. Africa's take same as Americas, lots of different options but they are all for future discussions.
But right now I feel unless the 4 issues I mention above are catered for then its a
from me, why because RPI could go real low next year, variable manning could be worsened and crew down is getting beyond a joke upsetting more and more pax and making our lives and as an FSM that must make your life much harder too does it not ?
Oh and finally, hopefully we will be T&G led by the next deal not Brian Boyd who was beamed down from some planet and recommended the last pay deal - how the bloke can expect to receive any dignity after the crew members threw that no vote back in his face I have no idea.
what do you think of my wish list ?
I love my job but am fed up of seeing us all get steam rolled, and as I see it now it is a downward spiral. If these issues are not addressed now there will be a further downward spirral and in 2 years time we will be fighting just to get it back to how it is now... and that isnt brilliant. The management promises of better next time.. unfortunately I dont have the same faith in them as you do. It would be interesting if an external company surveyed the crews anonymously asking their opinions towards management and other things. (oh isnt that what a union is supposed to do too !!??)