flapsfullretard - I am here! The answer is that our CC are facing 6 battles on 6 fronts and are doing magnificently despite the concerted efforts of our management team to bring the company to ruin and destroy our pilots' careers! We ahve just received notification via BALPA of the company's intention to suspend disruption payments due the weather crisis. The sad thing is that the weather crisis is only part of the problem. We have had a breakdown in command and control from the top to the bottom. At last, today Andy Harrison wrote to us all to say what a fine bunch of chaps we were, albeit neglecting to mention he was suspending our disruption payments!
I am not sure what to make of the contract captain report. There is no doubt that at a very senior level it was discussed and a conversation took place between a line captain and very senior management pilot indicating it was on the cards. It appears PS and his mates are backing away from it, but that does not mean it was not planned. Not really sure to be honest on that one. What I can tell you that it is about the quickest way to ensure a total strike in very short order, but past experience says that our managers do not learn from experience so we will have to wait and see.
What I can tell you is that in 6 years at easyJet I have never known an atmosphere like this. There is an overwhelming feeling among the pilots that we are in the hands of utterly untrustworthy and unreasonable people who are hell-bent on destroying the power of the pilots. Led by our nameless Flt Ops Director, who no one really ever hears from, they seem intent on having an all out conflict. They are well on the way to achieving that as they are about to discover. Their treatment of pilots and cabin crew alike has been outrageous this last year and the chickens are coming home to roost. The cabin crew boss (who has just received a £200K+ bonus by the way) is back-peddling in a big way. She is having to offer permanent contracts to all the crew because, strangely enough, they hate being treated like dirt and are leaving in their droves. Consequently we are having to sub-in Monarch to run our flying programme as we do not have sufficient cabin crew. If ever you needed proof about the commercial foolishness of mistreating your staff, this is it. We have run out of captains at Gatwick today, yet we were able to demote 10 of them a couple of months ago because they were 'not needed' for the winter programme! No doubt that decision earnt someone a few quid, only to lose the company hundreds of thousands 2 months later. We are in the hands of short-termists who are so intent on saving a fiver that they then go onto lose fifty grand in doing so. When this current debacle is over, I fully expect to see heads on poles and it cannot happen too soon.
Although we are facing the darkest times I have known in my time at easyJet, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I believe there is going to be a clearout, and it will be good news for everyone. Like most dictatorships, the direction of flight ops is determined by one or two zealots at a top and a bunch of adoring acolytes who lack the moral fortitude to disagree with the insane decisions that are being made. It would come as no surprise to me to find that the top people there are gone very soon as they have been weighed in the balance and found wanting in spectacular fashion these last few days. Our Flt Ops director has not sent a single message of any kind to anyone (is he on leave or, indeed, is he still alive?) whilst presiding over a catastrophe. No one could pick him out in an ID parade, no one outside of Luton ever hears from him and no one has one ounce of respect for him. He has come to represent to the pilots everything that is bad at easyJet. He literally never communicates with his staff (in 3 years or whatever it is he has been here, he has maybe sent 2 e-mails that I can recall). I still believe that Andy Harrison is sufficiently switched-on to know the complete breakdown with his people that is unfolding before his eyes, and will act soon to rid himself of the people who are bringing the whole ship down.
It is not all bad, but we do have some serious issues to resolve. My past observations of easyJet tell me that once the initial disaster has been sorted, questions will be asked and we will sort this out. I certainly hope so.