Johnny,
I am not surprised by your request, many on here suggest that if you criticise anything or anyone on PPRuNe then that criticism isn't enough, you have to follow it up with a full recovery package or scheme.
However based upon your invite, here is what I'd recommend, I reckon there are at least 20 initiative or issues that could be addressed immediately to improve things. I have listed 8.
1./ I believe BALPA has become a fragmented organisation where some CC's exhibit the best of what collective bargaining offers and some have shown what self serving reps can do to feather their own caps. Granted individual airlines have individual problems and agendas, however this does not mean that the union has to franchise itself. When it comes to major issues affecting the industry all CC's should come together with one voice for the greater good, not their own vested interest - It has been discussed that the nature of our industry means by in large it is populated in the majority by financially comfortable individuals who don't align themselves with any militant behaviour so I accept this now veers into a social background argument which I'm not qualified to answer.
2./ Unemployment increased again today to 2.1m and 8.2m economically inactive (students, training schemes, volunteer work, carers, etc.). They have a responsibility to preserve and safeguard existing jobs (of course sometimes no amount of intervention will facilitate this) and aid the unemployed to find gainful employment. This includes not allowing companies like Air Mauritius to take on the MoD airbridge contract to the Falklands when GSM went bust, then follow it up by not insisting Air Mauritius employ any ex-GSM pilots.
3./ Not forget what the B in BALPA stands for, whither it be a citizen or a resident, their rights and voice has to be promoted before those of other countries who's own unions would create quite a stink if things were in reverse. If you have a valid licence and medical, right to live and earn and are here already then you have to be given priority.
4./ Communicate adequately with the pilot community as to what they envisage as problems now and on the horizon, how they plan to combat them and list the pro's and con's for these so each member can formulate an opinion and at least have the tools to adequately voice it if they chose to do so. If the information I have relayed in this thread is incorrect they could adequately nip it in the bud if incorrect - If for example the SSV info is correct and the CC's chose not to act then they should have to give a public reason why they haven't opposed it.
5./ Strong central leadership that acknowledge that many things have been overlooked and the address the fragmented nature of the "brand". Leadership that prioritise what affects us most going forward rather than focusing on easy to win minutia.
6./ Exchange best practices, negotiation tactics and strategies between CC's. Large companies such as BA are lucky that they will have access to a number of talented individuals now working on the flightdeck who pursued alternative careers beforehand such as lawyers and accountants, not every airlines CC is as large or lucky. Do CC's from Virgin, BA, Easyjet and BMi (as scheduled UK carriers) or TCX, Jet2, Monarch, Thomson (Charter) meet regularly if at all? If not, would nobody agree there is merit in something such as this happening either within sector or UK-wide.
7./ Form some sort of group that the unemployed and disenfranchised can interact within, with no CC they are a sizeable number and the future of BALPA (and their revenue), ignoring them now seems to be folly.
8./ Just fight our corner with the same degree of intelligence and vigour as we witness exhibited by those representing our continental, Commonwealth or American counterparts.
Last edited by Dreamshiner; 12th May 2010 at 17:43.