nightmare!
this gets even more confusing!! bmi mainline, bmibaby and regional all use date of joining for a starting point. interestingly, many guys start at Bmi regional - lets say on the 1st Jan 2000, then join bmi baby under a transfer on 1st Jan 2006. So they join baby in 2006, but their length of service with the bmi group is from 2000. This was always a big attraction to keep your date of joining (ie seniority ) with the group, even when new to the new company (ie baby in this case). this principle works with any transfers amongst the 3 airlines. Apparently now balpa are being told this is all nonsense and date of joining the group aswell as the individual airline means nothing!
i hope that balpa stand firm and nip this in the bud and protect all the baby guys and maybe us regional lads in 2009.
can you imagine BA or any other airline allowing this to happen. I know balpa get accused of being BA's own union, but in this case i think a precidence will be set for ALL pilots in all companies for future generations if baby are allowed to get away with this.
I also hope that any bmi airline that recruits in 2009 will take the baby guys straight away over any 200hr graduates from flying schools. We all work hard every day for the group, lets hope they look after us in 2009 or when they start re-hiring again.
I also understand that the role has to be made redundant not the person, and that job title and terms and conditions have to be different and that it can be proved beyond reasonable doubt that the person laid off could not do the old job, hence the need for redundancy. I think this comes into play moreso when new pilots are needed in the future to replace the redundant roles. However as this is a "base" specific case, they would recruit for East Mids and then put guys in secondment in the BHX to get round this.
hope balpa look after you guys - we might be in your position in 2009.