Hope for the new guys - The first shoots

[Dreamshiner]

Feeling all brotherly as for the first time since I started flying I saw evidence the other day of pilots further up the food chain actually talking about making a stand for those looking to get their foot into the airline industry.

It's been well documented on here some of the schemes on offer via Easyjet and alike where either the need for income or aspiration of the job is played on by airline accountants/executives to exploit newly qualified pilots.

Finally I have seen an example of captains and senior f/o's looking to address a problem that a number on here (myself included) thought wasn't possible due to a general attitude of looking out for number 1 (through our whole society rather than just our profession).

I'm glad to say that despite being in its infancy, I feel a snowball has been released down a hill and it could gain momentum. I'm only sorry to say that BALPA haven't been the catalyst for this, it has grown elsewhere.

Realisation has started to set in that if pilots now entering the market are in a position of being offered options such as paying upwards of £30k for a TR + line hours scheme, 7 months on 5 months off contracts will ultimately erode their future T&C's and benefits. A senior f/o gaining promotion to capt will have to sign a new contract with terms partly influenced by what executives have got/will try to get away with at the lower levels.

I'm also glad to say that a number of captains are unhappy and urging solidarity too, a feeling of unfairness and (who would have thought it) walking that mile in another man's (replace with "younger pilot's") shoes to compare things now to when they started out.

Knowledge in the fact these newbie pilots have no promises, only hopes that their indignant initial contract may be improved or extended. But who is to say that will happen when they can easily be shunted aside, put on a hold pool list after 1 or 2 years from their start date? Who is to know if they will go again via a school or advertise for more £30k+ ers to help the balance sheet and keep the shareholders happy rather than offer a contract to the discarded pilot that comes with the benefits and standard pre-requisites that is expected in our profession (loss of licence insurance, medicals, pension, full employee opposed to summer only).

An understanding that some of the more unscrupulous airline management know there will always be people to help fund their balance sheet means that the message is getting out there to people who can really influence the airlines.

Be aware, the pilots with clout in this industry are now wincing at the smell of this behaviour by their airlines and even though it is just talk at present but I hope it progresses and escalates exponentially.

NB I can't reveal the airline in question as it would betray the confidence placed in me and may pre-warn the management that things are stirring, so please don't ask either publicly or by PM.