Non Member - Ended Membership - Not Impressed, unhelped in time of need
Number of years flying 9
Current Status/ Employer Employed/ Qatar Airways (not enough vacancies in UK as filled by overseas contractors / pay to flyers)
Option selected Former member cancelled due bad experience
Reasoning:
Hi when I flew for a Uk Cargo operator that was gobbled up by an Irish Rival,
a TUPE transfer ensued, a new contract, with a months notice was signed, however, when I later resigned to join a UK charter carrier, I was threatened to have to work 3 months notice or my reference for an ID pass would not be supplied.
BALPA listened and did nothing, resulting in having to work the longer notice period under considerable duress just to get a reference.
I spoke to a lawyer and was told that although I was in the right on the 1 months notice period of the contract I had signed "if i wanted to stay in the airline industry I would just have to be shafted by the Irish company for the sake of my ID" - even though I held a Full Airside BAA pass already and was just transferring airlines and airport!
Time balpa grew some teeth and protected all UK pilots interests
