Its nice to see that someone can actually see what is going on. For the avoidance of doubt our inept management are proposing that we lose our defined benefit pension, all of our benefits and terms and conditions and suffer about a 50-60% pay cut depending on what level you are on the current payscale. The existing payscale offered is more akin to what you would earn at a very small and poorly paid turbo prop operator, a starter airline if you wish. For the majority of us we are already at the top of this "new scale" where we will now stay until the day we leave - assuming that we would accept what is on offer. AL would no longer be a career airline but would move towards a FR model attracting journeyman who will be more than happy to accept their derisory terms and conditions for a few years until supposedly moving on to somewhere paying more.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that we are just a tad peed off with this situation and that we have no intention of sitting back and getting shafted. In the meantime AL management have set about to completely undermine whatever trust and loyalty that they had from their staff by setting up this UK AOC and attempting to do the 500 or so Irish based pilots out of a job.
Lets not forget that in the last year or so our inept management have gotten the fuel hedging wrong to the tune of EUR100m, burned cash to purchase 2 spanking brand new A330's, overpaid to the tune of tens of millions an early retirement scheme for ground staff and failed to take timely action to sort out the loss making Atlantic operation. I lose count of the number of CEO's that have come and gone along with their various business plans and hopes and promises.
And we are led to believe that these muppets are going to suddenly start flying to Africa and the Middle East and all with be smelling of roses and salvation will be upon us. Unfortunately our A330's only know how to fly as far east as Dinard (where they get serviced). AL has no experience at flying anywhere other than the US cos until such time as they have a severe cull of the ex civil service idiots that sit in the head office then we will be going nowhere fast.
As NSF so eloquently points out, this is just a reshuffling of the pack. All AL management want is to find a cheap bunch of pilots to fly its aircraft to the detriment of its existing pilots. If successful then management walk away with bonuses that would bring a tear to your eye. Our CEO as just one example would net EUR4m for 2 years work at implementing a plan that he had no role in devising. The other senior managers will be mortgage free and fully pensioned. Nice work if you can get it.