Originally Posted by Doors to Manuel
Sounds good to me. I wonder if there is anyone on the dole queue who could be persuaded to sign up?
Mate, I get what you're saying but we're talking about people doing this job long term, not just in the short term. In the long term I suspect a lot of people currently on the dole queue couldn't hack it. There's a reason they're unemployed when there are plenty of jobs out there - because they're either lazy, unwilling to lower their standards or because they're unemployable.
You could easily grab someone off the dole queue to do this job for two weeks. Any longer than that and I suspect they'd be dropping like flies.
Originally Posted by Doors to Manuel
Yes, I do sincerely respect there are situations like medical incidents, abusive members of the public etc. Not unlike being a class teacher, a shop worker or even a traffic warden, all of whom might fancy a bit of the above 'fun job' for more money than they earn now.
VERY unlike all those other jobs. Very unlike it because a traffic warden can run away. As can a teacher or a shop worker. These people can call the police if they're threatened or an ambulance if they see someone who is ill.
We have to be the police service, the ambulance service and the fire service. Our job is like no other.
And I doubt they'd earn more than they do now if they went on MY basic and earned MY extras.
Originally Posted by Doors to Manuel
Semantics. They are truly 'volunteering' (ie choosing) to undertake the activity And as someone else has already said, you have captured in just two words what many of our customers think the job is - a PJ!
They aren't volunteering - they are, as you correctly mention yourself, "choosing" to do something else. Same as the crew who did the relief flights to Haiti (no disrespect meant to them at all - they did a great, admirable thing). They were said to have volunteered, yet they were accommodated at the company's expense and given normal allowances. They elected to operate a flight with a difference - they didn't volunteer.
Originally Posted by CessnaPete
I agree with a lot you say. The job does have its difficult times, but you knew that when you joined it's part of the job-you are not forced to be cc.
Of course, Pete, and I get extremely annoyed when I hear about colleagues complaining about various elements of the job - like having to book hotels because they can't get home after a trip, or having to come to London for a one-day course. I signed up to do this job knowing roughly what it would entail, so I do it.
Originally Posted by CessnaPete
The problem on pay arises when a Purser gets about £700 allowances and long range payments for a 4 day trip to Hgk etc when our competitor, Virgin crew for example only get £240. BA cc costs are too high.
Let's remember that Virgin's crew get paid cash in hand. There's no doubt at all that Virgin crew are paid less than us, but the difference isn't realistically as great as people like to claim. When it comes to money in the bank, after BA crew have paid tax, a HKG is probably only worth a couple of hundred more for BA crew than for Virgin crew.
Originally Posted by CessnaPete
Also the lack of scheduling flexibility, whereby WW crew will not do Shorthaul trips without two local nights off. Recently this meant a Gov VIP charter of a BA 777, which included a european sector,needed three sets of cc to complete ,30 crew, but only one set of flightcrew.
This surprises me. I was always under the impression that VIP flights etc didn't have to abide by our usual Worldwide Scheduling Agreement.
In general, Pete, I can't disagree with much of what you say.