Are you sure you want to be a pilot?
I am a full-time pilot with easyJet, but have become aware of the latest offering from easyJet to the CTC flexicrew pilots. It is truly dire and I have been asked by a number of people to bring attention to the arrangement on offer. There seems widespread agreement that it is in everyone's interests for the details to become known to the wider easyJet pilot community. The key points are:
There will be around 200 contract FOs next summer - quite a large proportion of FOs and the total pilots in the airline. This is a lot to take in 18 months and seems to be the direction the company are taking in order to push down Ts and Cs. Inevitably this will eventually affect Ts and Cs of current easy pilots, and make BALPA completely ineffective.
A three year contract. This is clearly laying down the plan for the future and emulates the Brookfield deal at Ryanair.
Paid around half of Ryanair rate (specifics deliberately not quoted for contractual reasons) for scheduled block hours and set amount for stand bys. No payments for duty hours, positioning, delays or cancelled flights, even if the crew have already turned up.
No guaranteed hours or money, not guaranteed any work at all.
Charged for Uniform.
No staff travel.
No notice of base transfers required.
3 months notice period, even though on random rosters and no work guaranteed.
There are significant concerns of cadets going bankrupt. Some cadets already have court dates. Current payments for most cadets is £1200 a month. Banks are no longer prepared to defer or take reduced payments any longer. With no guaranteed hours cadets cant be sure of making payments each month.
Safety issues. BALPA have raised cadets distracted due outside stresses mainly financial. With no minimum income and transfers likely, guys will be left struggling with accommodation which they can neither commit to or afford. Some of the FOs are already completing long commutes before work and sleeping on the floor of other FOs houses, in their cars, or on the crew room floor already. There are at least 3 cadets that I am aware of on anti-depressants, due to the stress they are experiencing. This is simply unacceptable and absolutely must be brought to an end.
Commercial issues arise of how the image of the airline may be damaged with bankrupt FOs and the lowest terms and conditions in the industry.
EasyJet already seem to be taking advantage of the situation. LGW FOs are reduced down to now averaging between 20-30 hours next month (£1290 best case scenario before tax), which is not even enough to make the loan/bond repayments. Everyone also seems to be doing a lot of positioning.
Cadets are currently attempting to stand together and refuse terms and conditions. They desperately need the support of the greater work force. Through guys challenging managers at SEP, and sharing the information so this becomes an issue that needs tackling this can be successfully fought. We need guys to petition BALPA to become more involved. This is an issue that affects the entire pilot workforce. While Andy Harrison talks of pilot re-engagement substantially more than 10% of our pilots are living on starvation wages and facing financial extinction. This is simply not acceptable and needs to be addressed urgently. This is the number one issue at easyJet and makes rostering issues etc pale into insignificance.