GB Rules - OK?

[airrage]

I am a BA pilot and I must say that the GB posts here are the least confrontational, but all posts in general are fairly accurate in their own right.

As BA pilots we are understandably frustrated at being continually asked to increase productivity and reduce costs whilst continually losing jos to other outfits(franchises or not). Despite rumours or focussing on our highest and most senior paid route out of thousands(Buenos Airies), BA pilots are now paid less 40% less than N.America and 30+% less than European outfits of equally-sized major International carriers. Especally the third of our pilot workforce on new pay scales. The blame does not lie at the majority of our CC colleagues either(fact: not on 2000) but on poor management decisions(tailfins, separate bases, YEN currency arbitrages, etc.)and major inefficient work practises maintained by unions within stronger than our own BALPA. (For example cargo workers got paid 100% for years even though up to 40% might not even show up for work daily, this was done on a rotational basis. BA are terrified by Cargo and in general their workers rule. Just a couple weeks ago, they refused to allow cargo to be received or sent, losing BA millions each day of this action. I know this because on a walkaround for a flight to Japan, I saw them loading the empty cargo bins into the hold. 20,000kg of cargo missed this flight alone. I never heard the result but I assume BA gave in again. )

Franchises have undoubtably been a huge success for BA, especially with monopoly restrictions on UK airport slots. Likewise franchises like GB have been successful in running their airlines like an airline and not a brand empire exercise(the franchise fee is small in comparison to the money spent on the BA brand. The brand is the managements main focus in BA, running an airline is just a secondary consideration. Proof: Future size and shape had 5managers like branding and fleet management, but no-one from flt-ops. hmmmm.). GB focus on being an airline and do this on an efficient and cost-effective manor, something we are unable to do in BA as pilot's because our hands are tied in the massive red-tape of layered management. A management that continues to degrade the status of pilots for their own purpose(heard 35 pilots on suspension at the moment). Unfortunately our ambitious pilot-managers are too brainwashed or concerned about their own careers to stick up for us. Most managers use BA to propel their careers forward into other firms outside transport so do not even care about our long-term success but are CV-building. Size is also a major hinderance to running an airline, once an outfit gets too big, profit margins rapidly disintegrate.

If I was a GB pilot the last thing I would want is be to become part of BA. Be careful of any proposals you are sent and read the fine print. Don't trust anything not in black and white, even if it is recorded on tape. Avoid wording like..."It is BA's intention not to....." this means nothing historically. And please have patience with our comments as frustrated BA pilots stamped on by the rest of our massive conglomerate.

In conclusion,
- GB pilots well done in becoming a successful outfit, regardless of the merits or not of being a BA franchise. Be careful, it can be quickly undone by our lot at the top who care little about running an efficient airline.
- At the end of the day, we are all Pilots whatever outfit. When are we going to take back our rightful status from the CV-builders, beancounters and ambitous pilot-traitor managers who fail to stick by their colleagues and one could argueably add BALPA head office to this list for failing to protect us over the past 10years (JF plug)?