NSF -
I am cautiously heartened by the recent communication from BALPA of 26th November which announced what is effectively a cooling-off period to provide room for 'fresh thinking'. I think that is good news, as it gives an opportunity for wise people to seek a way out of unnecessary conflict while it is still possible.
Tell that to all the crew in Germany who are living in a void with no sense of security and basically without a (proper/legal?) contract from 1st of January. They have have been told for the past 10-12 months that a new contract would be negotiated and signed by the end of the year. The company deliberately delayed starting the negotiations, despite being pushed by BALPA on several occasions, again showing their lack of respect and interest in the crew and their families. This latest delay was nothing more than a way of further delaying the process and avoiding a potential strike over Christmas. Now you are left with threatening to strike in Jan/Feb. I know who'll be laughing all the way to the bank, and it will not be the easyJet pilots.
I am all for a more "diplomatic" solution to these kind of problems but in EZY this kind of approach should have been abandoned at least a year ago. Now the EZY pilots are paying the price for not doing so.
It is really sad to see where this company has gone over the past 12-18 months and I fear that this is only the beginning.
Good luck to everybody, RYR, EZY, BMI and BA. You/we will all need it.
CP