Hi Doug. I am in the process of drafting a reply to AH and will send it shortly. I believe that he is now recognising that there is sound business sense in working with your employees rather than working against them. I am no more excited than you are about what has happened at easyJet in recent days. In no particular order there are several issues that we must address:
1. The disgraceful treatment of our CTC cadets by the company.
2. Temporary commands instead of the part-year 75/25 deal promised.
3. Return of permanent contracts.
4. The German Contract Issue.
5. Sector pay for ultra-long flights.
6. Crew food.
7. The disgraceful treatment of cabin crew and the misuse of temporary contracts.
8. The confrontational attitude of our Flight Ops Director.
9. The establishment of a clear end game. Where do the company actually want these cuts to lead? What would satisfy them?
10. Continual rostering abuses.
11. Training Captain contracts.
Nonetheless, as I listen to the more extreme views of some of our pilots, I see little to choose between them and our Flt Ops Director. We have to ask what we want. Do we want 'blood on the carpet' or 'heads on poles'? What is to be gained by that? I see the fresh shoots of a willingness to re-engage in credible and sensible discussion. That needs to be encouraged as it is vital the pilots are seen as people the company can deal with. As I have said on several occasions, I back our union 100%. If a strike comes I will back it, but that is very premature in view of the clear willingness of the company to take a step back from the brink. We need to open this small window of opportunity as wide as we can. Are we dealing with reasonable people? Probably not. But we are dealing with people who realise that we need to work together at last. BALPA have done a fantastic job in facing down the company - who are wisely reconsidering their position. We in turn would be wise to reconsider ours in response. There are a number of contributors on here who would only be happy if all the pilots were gathered outside Hangar 89 in donkey jackets, standing in freezing conditions over lit fires shouting abuse at office workers within. Is that where we really want to be? Victory for me is dialogue with our managers to find a way forward that brings success to easyJet, and a credible career path to the pilots and cabin crew that who make it run. Mister Geezer has alluded to there being no managment incentive to treat their crews with respect. That is absolutely not the case as has been seen here. What gives them incentive is a strong pilot union sitting across the table from them making it clear that if they continue to be dorks they will have a strike on their hands. The real skill, however, is turning that fighting position into concrete results that bring change. That is where we are at the moment, and only time will tell if we can achieve victories in the above-mentioned areas. I dare to believe we may yet do so.