Apologies to others who are discussing specifically VS management. I realise I am diverging from the thread, but am doing so to answer a question raised.
Tosh
I simply do not know exact numbers but we are talking of a lot (possibly hundreds). By way of example, I went to an easyJet interview last year(a company I really like and wish well) and of 8 the pilots being assessed, 6 were not British. (Not sour grapes by the way - they offered me the job). That scene is repeated week-in, week-out.
To an extent we are victims of our history. One of the difficulties is that virtually the whole English-speaking world can trace a distant relative to the UK. In addition, as 'proud' members of the EU, we must take all European citizens on an equal basis to UK citizens, and by definition their distant relatives as well. A significant proportion of the world's aviators are therefore eligible to work in Britain, and not surprisingly are attempting to do so! I should say that I in no way blame these folk for taking advantage of our lax system, and I would never be anything other than courteous to them at a personal level. They are only looking after their own welfare and that of their families, which they cannot be blamed for. We, however, can be blamed for letting it happen. The problem lies with BALPA and the government not being willing to take this issue on. I am sure the ironies of this situation are not lost on the countless unemployed UK pilots who cannot get jobs when loads of foreign pilots are working here. If we do not look after our own pilots then you can be certain no one else will.
The UK has among the most boyant economies in the world, and that reflects in the relatively high numbers of pilots required compared to our population. We are therefore very attractive to foreign pilots. As we are all aware, many people from less fortunate economic circumstances are attempting to come here by whatever method is open to them, and that is happening at every level of society. Pilots are only one facet of that.
For me, the solution is very simple. No airline who benefits from having bases in the UK and a significant part of its business emanating from here, should be permitted to employ foreign pilots until all unemployed British pilots have jobs. Clearly not every pilot is suitable for every job, but as long as we have keen, highly-motivated frozen-ATPLs and indeed more experienced pilots out of work, we should not contemplate taking on foreign nationals.
Sorry again to the VS thread followers for this slight deviation.
[ 13 January 2002: Message edited by: Norman Stanley Fletcher ]</p>