It all again comes back to representation, at the risk of repeating myself, It all comes back to...... oops.
There may be valid reasons and a genuine need to relocate staff during times of restructuring, but there are also ways of doing it and still retaining the will of the people involved ie change shift patterns to a 4 0n 4 off pattern if 24 hour cover is needed if not go to 3 earlies, 3 lates and 3 off. All have thier merits and drawbacks, but if you have no-one that management take seriously to represent you then you are fighting a losing battle.
Flt Crew would not accept the shift patterns etc that we engineers work and we do not have periods of "discretion", the only reason shift patterns such as 7/3 and 7/4 exist is to have the maximum cover for the least amount of bodies regardless of the fatigue effects of this particular pattern - the bottom line is no representation, no say.
The idea is a good one for a combined representative body but how it could be formed is beyond me. I suppose a start could come from BALPA looking at the merits and perhaps coming up with an idea as they are really the main, if not only truely recognised body.
Anyway said my bit, feel better now good luck at Gatwick.
