Harry
No, I am not saying we should not trust the CHFR. I know the man and do not doubt his integrity as well as I fully endorse the anonymous reporting system (worked well where I came from). It is the attitude of the people further up that make me shiver and distrust the WHOLE system.
AS just showed what they think of reporting in general: ‘Report if it is to fix something that does not imply cost or points out a wrong decision of a manager, otherwise be prepared to be dissected and discredited openly (and punished disclosedly,)as we do not like that’.
Simply consider the catch phrase in the CHFR’s article: ‘Only in the case of extremely serious reports would there be any form of action’. Now just who will decide what extremely serious report shall lead to action and what does ‘any form’ mean? It is right here where trust sets in and, again, I trust the CHFR, but I truly believe he is powerless if the higher ups want to get to any information of any incident, simply by applying the above exception. In most airlines there is some sort of counterweight to oppression with a union. I am not particularly fond of unions, but in this respect they fulfill an important function. It is clearly missing at EK, the counterweight you attribute to the CHFR is a bag of feathers compared to the interests and power of the likes of AAR and AS. With so much uncontested power comes arrogance and the danger sets in.
I am sure not alone with this suspicion, therefore the lack of reports.