The cadets are in a vulnerable position because they chose to put themselves there. No Cadet this year was given the impression that they would be employed beyond winter and yet they still took it.
If people would not accept these schemes then the airlines would be forced to do things properly, but cadets dont stand together and say No in the same way EZY BALPA members don't stand together and say No over piss takes like the crew food and roster disruption. Pilots don't stand together, end of. I know, I have done a vouluntry BALPA role and the most support you get is at pay talks, me me me me me me.
Many people think the guys takingthe flexi wings **** are prostituting themselves and helping to under value us a profession, how could you convince them to Stop "allowing" the cadets to be abused in the way in which they volunteer to be?
Serioulsy, why don't they ALL join BALPA and FORCE Balpa to form a CTC company council? This could be done in just the same easy way that I ALLOW pilots to be treated like this.
It's not fair, it's not nice but it's life in aviation at the moment, with self serving pilots ( ALL of us - TRE's to Cadets ) and opportunistic management on the other side looking for weaknesses to exploit, ANYONE signing up to Flexi wings is a weakness and WILL be exploited. And in doing so they are undermining T's and C's for those of us allready here, if they won't help themselves then why should anyone else.
A bit of leadership from BALPA would go a long way here........................
Serioulsy, a CTC company council is urgently required to attack the cancer at source, because by the time it has spread to the line it is too late.