If they are all in BALPA, then having some sort of CTC BALPA representation will not cost them a penny more. It may require someone with some balls to actually go to BALPA and volunteer to do something to get the ball rolling. Whinging to current EZY BALPA members to stick their necks out on your behalf when most of them wont stick it out on their own agenda WILL get you no where. You WILL get all the sympathy in the world, that will not change anything. BALPA is it's members and EZY's members are among the most apathetic bunch I've ever come accross. BALPA needs charasmatic leadership, someone who touches a cord with the members and makes them realise their strength and worth, this is a deep routed BALPA/EZY problem and an area where I have dissagreed strongly with NSF in the past on, but even he cannot deny the facts, our %membership always lets us down, Ballot return rates are embarrassing, and this year we even allowed Summer only commands, something that those of the membership who bothered to vote, actually voted NO to, that is what the status quo of the current leadership and pilot run CC leads us to and that is all we can expect if nothing changes. That is BALPA in EasyJet. You honestly think that that kind of membership can improove T's and C's for cadets that are not employed by the company we negotiate with? If it's EZY BALPA support for your cause you want then if you all made a stand and demanded action from BALPA directly with CTC then you might see something, but be clear, EZY BALPA will give you nothing more than sympathy and moral objections, because thats all they CAN give you. Both on industrial relations and membership will.
Portside, you seem to think that I persoanlly do not want to see the Cadets helped, nothing could be farther from the truth, but I am a realist who used to be an idealist, a bit of BALPA repping did that to me. We are masters of our own demise, I joined EZY about 6 years ago from a Turbo prop airline under the TRSS cancer. The day I accepted that, I helped seal the fate for the next generation, just as those who accept todays cancer of flexi-wings are doing for tomorows generation. If the EZY CC said to me tomorrow, to go to the picket line and stay there until every Cadet who is NEEDED to fly the line is put on a proper contract of employment I'd be first in line, how ever I think you will find I am in the minority, and there is also a difference between those who say they will stand on a picket line and those who actually WILL. I have done it before, I would do it again, I think you will find a lack of moral fibre among our members if push ever came to shove, as it almost did with CV in his first year here, he won, we lost and he has the scent of our blood like a wounded deer ever since.
Only one thing will stop this - supply and demand, and that ain't about to happen soon. Unless we all grow a Spine together and stop the rot, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Of course a restructured BALPA might help also, I mean BALPA really gets things done fast, see how quickly we have fixed the crew food farse? Or how our rostering agreements are in concrete and not abused?
(foot note for the usual "don't knock the CC, they do a great job in their own time bla bla bla.........." brigade - I know the CC work their cotton socks off, I know what they achieve with the given resources and time is comendable, but for the size of EZY and the amount BALPA gets from us, we deserve more and should get more - The CC are to be applauded for preventing things more than anything else, if it wasn't for them we would all be singing from Leo Hairy camels twats song sheet by now )
A bigger, more organised stick is required, plus the will to use it, after all thats how EZY played it when AH took the leash off CV.
Or we could stick with the status quo that NSF and others all seem so content with..................................................