"Our duty and responsibility upfront is to fly safely... if all the safety aspects of the operation have been met, we then might find the time to make also economical sound decisons."
I agree with you: no one disputes the fact that the number-one responsibility is to ensure safety, and it's obviously a case of ensuring safety first and then trying whatever possible to increase efficiency and cost reduction. But I believe that pilots have a responsibility and duty to do what they can to minimise fuel consumption by, for example, seeking optimum flight routings, speeds and levels, and by not regularly taking more fuel that necessary beyond what's required for possible eventualities, weather, delays, etc., and to do whatever they can to increase aircraft productivity. (I firmly believe that it's the responsibility and duty of every employee to seek ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs.) I dare not mention what I think about pilot productivity.
