After flying with people who I thought I'd never hear complain about the airline admitting that it's now time for Jet2 to be unionised / BALPA affiliated, I recon it's time for serious debate again. As we all know, no-one likes to say what they really think on the crew website as 'Big Brother is watching'.
The biggest points that I can see from listening to growing complaints, mostly in the last 6 months are:
- Clear and definitive T & C's
- More stable rosters (not necessarily fixed days or less hours) just stable, so we can organise our personal lives better!
- A better working relationship between management and 'bus drivers'. (The personal, small and friendly airline that I remeber seems to be erroding very quickly, especially as they are filling Leeds new offices up with more and and more bean counters and 'middle management'.
- A feeling of being appreciated by the company for the extra hrs and other little things that we don't mind doing all for 'the greater good of the airline'. The recent charge for baggage on staff travel is a classic example.
- I still don't think the dual basing issue has been resolved yet?
These are just a few points (in my humble opinion) and I'm sure you will all have a hell of a lot more. I will probably think of a lot more after I've posted this!
I would like to point out two things before any abuse is hurled back:
1. I love flying for Jet2 and I'm not in any hurry to leave. Just because I'm pro BALPA does not make me anti-company!! If anything, managment would be better off too if we were BALPA affiliated. It means that we would have no reason to complain about half as much!
2. I am in no way knocking the hard work of the Crew Council. I think you guys do a great job and put up with a lot of crap from both sides and you get some things pushed through. But think of the things that we could get done with the weight of BALPA behind you!
That's my 2 pence worth of opinion over - I hope that hasn't upset anyone too much!!