Pilot and Bonuses
Sorry to be missing for a long time.
No bonus till now> Indigo makes more money by denying you your bonus than by keeping you happy. We don't want to organise ourselves (so many read pprune, but don't feel like contributing on an anonymous site, do you think they will organise and expose themselves), we want to save fuel for the company by doing decelerated approaches even when the company says do stabilised approaches, we want to be environmentally conscious goody goody green boys and girls. Do you think you deserve a bonus. Even in this time of recession most companies have paid out bonuses and sops and raises, maybe smaller ones than usual so that they can retain people for the time when the markets improve and people have more oppurtunities to jump ship (if you read The Economic Times regularly you would know what I am talking about). But IndiGo knows that we don't deserve a bonus or any thing else.
The reason you don't get a yearly pay hike is that you are not permanent employees of the company but are on contract. However, my contract is open ended, i.e., it does not have to be renewed every few years unlike the expat contract. So doesn't this make me permanent. There have been more so called permanent employees who have left the company than the contractual ones. We all know the turnover on the ground is much faster than for us. Expats and others, correct me if I am wrong, but when you join Emirates, Ethihad or any other airline are you not on contract. Then why do they get a raise every year and not IndiGo pilots. By the way even the expats do not get a yearly raise in IndiGo.
Blue went to SE Asia and got ZERO pilots for Indigo. Rumour is that he is also likely to go.
If Skybus had not closed down we were a whisker from getting a raise. But first Skybus and now Doc Mallya have again screwed us. If Indigo keeps on getting pilots they will do nothing to our pay.
Another thing about loyalty. Indigo does not want it. A loyal employee stays for more time which eventually increases his cost to the company. Do you think that this company, which wants to save money by not putting on taxi lights during daytime, would like to increase its costs by having to pay employees gratuity and bonuses.
I don't know about the new contract being implemented or not. Eleven weeks on, two weeks off (ask the expats how many times they have had to change their leave plans. It might be Ok for the expats. They go back to see thier families, would you like to sit at home with your kids at school and the good wife at work), flying six days a week, no golden offs to plan for your requirements (you know what asking rostering for an off is like, so don't think that you will be able to manage it once the roster is out, and then why should you beg and plead), a pay increase of Rs 25000 but with a catch. You get it in a lumpsum if you stay in the company for 5 years or more after signing the new contract, what about the time you have already spent with the company. Give me the money and let me invest it as I think fit. Doesn't seem too nice and remember Indigo finally always has an upper hand when it comes to contractual issues. I would be very circumspect and cautious and wary.................
I am sure there are people out there who have more experience and information to share, please do take advantage of being on a no names forum.
Just a word of caution. be very careful about flaps 3 landings, especially in these hot and turbulent conditions near the ground. You are about two degrees of separation from a tail strike. So one check and let the aircraft settle down, let it be firm but be safe. Remember, if you are cost to company to Indigo, what happens. There are already bets being taken as to how many days to the first tail strike.
Happy landings till next time.