Ignoring for a minute the difficulty of trying to directly compare wages across international boundaries what do SWA captains get paid that makes them 'the highest paid narrow body pilot in the world'? How much annual leave, and is it, typically for the US, a sliding scale where you get 1 week/annum for the first x years and then 2 weeks, etc.
The Ryanair banner adds on this site suggest up to GBP120k for captains and up to GBP70k for FOs and markets themselves as 'the high paying airline'.
GBP120k does not equate to AUD280k or whatever the exchange rate indicates these days. Ryanair pilots are being paid in GBP and spending in GBP. The only part of their wage that is effected by any exchange rate is that % that may be remitted to their country of origin. I am going to suggest that for an Ozzie working at Ryanair, and there are some, GBP120k (and I bet they work their coits off for that) equates to something like AUD150-170k depending on a variety of factors.
J* captains on EBA 4 will now be on something like AUD200-220k.
Lets put that in perspective...J* pilots based in Oz will potentially net not much less than a UK based Ozzie Ryanair pilot grosses in AUD terms.
Lets cast our minds back to the origins of the QF Domestic package...it was a union busting package designed to induce 'individuals' to desert there former workmates and get an airline, TAA/Australian back into the air.
Lets also remind ourselves that the main difference between the QF Dom wage and J*'s is not the base pay but the point at which overtime kicks in. 55 hours in the case of the QF/TAA pilots and 75 hours for J* pilots.
The J* EBA got voted up in the end.
Everyone is united on an, arguably internationally competitive, EBA with union representation...and management are happy about that unity. Pick another airline in the region where that is the case.
No AWAs which, had the EBA been voted down would have become, irrespective of what the Rudd Govt says, the only option for new hires.
Everyone currently employed got a significant payrise with, not only no productivity tradeoffs, but 18 days/annum extra off. In a time of rapidly increasing costs of living and an uncertain economic future. How often have we seen that achieved of late...even by the much vaunted AIPA.
To put that 18 days in perspective that is significantly more than the annual leave of most US employees and comes on top of 6 weeks annual leave.
Seniority enshrined giving junior pilots a great deal of career protection if/when the planned expansion happens in the next few years.
Yes the new hire FOs will be on 55% of a captains wage for 12 months, what is the equivalent % for new hire QF mainline pilots?
Yes new hire, non type rated, pilots must salary sacrifice a type rating...not uncommon internationally...remind me again about QF mainline 'training pay' for the first 18 (or is it 12) months. Just because it is called something else in QF doesn't mean you're not paying for your type rating. Are QF SO's bonded?
Lets not forget that new hire will potentially be changing seats in 3-4 years. The new hire QF pilot might get a window seat in 3-5 years and wait 10-15 years for a command.
There are lots of things worth getting worked up about in this world...this is not one of them.
Last edited by Chimbu chuckles; 7th Mar 2008 at 03:08.