Wiz, I believe I too was trying to give a 'balanced' view, by stating fact. Although I don't-yet-know of anyone charged for utilities, the Company have informed all that this will be the case-a flagrant contract violation, and the cause of much angst for many of our peers. You are correct in your statement about the 3% etc as far as my contract goes, but I have friends who have been here well over 10 years whose employment agreement categorically states the increment. Mine (and yours) does it by inference, and if one was to expect 'good faith' on the part of EK, we would have received the increments we were all supposed to for the last couple of years. May I suggest you talk to some EK airport staff outside DXB, who were also categorically told 'no increment'. The company kept this up until faced with the prospect of the AIRC, and then magnanimously decided, at the eleventh hour (and the threat of legal action for contract breach) to pay, with no explanation whatsoever to the staff for the extremely aggressive response they got when first queried. Unfortunately, to the dismay of EK, in the first world the staff have rights and industrial protection.
FTL's: for most they are just that, a limit. For us they are a Target, with no thought of the future consequences of long term fatigue (consider the Orwellian response: We have studied this and you are not fatigued), and the fact that we have numerous pilots on 'forced leave' due to the fact they have hit their 900 hrs. That is notwithstanding that the 900hrs are in reality 1000-1100 as time in the bunk (or simulator, or doing any of the dozen plus mandatory Pelesys courses, SEP's, CRM etc) does not count for FTL's. I don't know of any other major carrier that doesn't count all time on company directed employ for the purposes of duty.
As far as my statement that we have no right to challenge, it was meant in reference to the movement of the overtime threshold, the constant changes in the Medical Insurance (limits on physio etc), the changes to ALT destination conditions for our Nth American colleagues etc...the list goes on, and we can not redress any of this.
The 140 aircraft on order include fleet replacement, I still stand by my assertion that a new joiner would be unlikely to have command prospects in less than 8 years, assuming of course that the Company doesn't arbitrarily change the Upgrade requirements again.
As my previous post said, this is not home. You have none of the rights that you take for granted (unfair dismissal hearings, legal defences etc). If you upset the wrong person you are history, as decisions cannot be reversed due to 'loss of face'. If you come here with your eyes wide open, you may still enjoy yourself, that comes down to the individual experience. I am here because it still works for me, but I do have an exit strategy and a definite time frame.