Came across this report in the Singapore Straits Times this evening.
What is the practise in other airlines with regards to crew rest on board?
Cheers
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http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/pri...137332,00.html
SIA pilots threaten to take industrial action
Manpower Ministry mediating in dispute over pilots' unhappiness at being told to rest in economy, not business class seats
By Dominic Nathan
DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
SINGAPORE Airlines pilots, unhappy over having to take their in-flight rest breaks in economy class seats, are threatening industrial action for the first time in over 20 years.
Last-minute negotiations are still going on to resolve the dispute, which erupted when pilots were told that with the new Spacebed seats installed in the airline's business class, there would be fewer seats available.
As a result, they would have to take their breaks in economy class if there were no empty business class seats.
Pilots view this as a breach of the collective agreement, which they say entitles them to rest in business class or something similar.
Those interviewed said that flight safety could be affected if they did not get the rest needed, and being 'exposed' in economy class might also pose a security risk.
Some argued that it would tarnish the airline's image to have its pilots seen to be nodding off in economy class.
Several rounds of talks between the airline and pilots have so far failed to resolve the issue.
In a July 31 circular, the Air Line Pilots Association Singapore (Alpa-S), which represents about 90 per cent of SIA's 1,600 pilots, informed members that it would hold an extraordinary general meeting on Friday to consider three resolutions.
Two of them condemn SIA's decision on the seating issue and also its move to terminate the services of the two pilots at the controls of Flight SQ 006,which crashed in Taipei two years ago, killing 83 people.
The third resolution calls for a secret vote on taking industrial action.
The threatened action includes 'withdrawal of goodwill' to management, which means, for example, that pilots will not attend any non-essential meetings on their days off.
They will also vote on taking 'work-to-rule' action, requiring minimum notice for any changes to their roster or duties.
This may disrupt SIA's flight operations.
If the motion is passed, it will be the first time since 1980 that SIA
pilots have resorted to industrial action.
Then, an unofficial work-to-rule was in force after negotiations over claims for higher salaries and benefits broke down. It took the personal involvement of the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to finally settle the matter.
This time, the problem stems from differing interpretations of the
collective agreement, which dates back to 1988.
In May, SIA notified pilots that because of the new and bigger Spacebed seats, which transform into beds, long-haul flights in the business-class of a Boeing 747, for example, will have 50 seats instead of 58.
This reduction made it necessary to fill every available seat with paying customers, SIA had said earlier.
The airline maintains that the move does not violate the collective
agreement since there are separate bunks for crew members to sleep in, and the seat in economy class is only for pilots to relax or have a meal outside the flight deck.
The new arrangements were to have come into effect on June 7, but implementation was delayed till Aug 1.
Yesterday, both SIA and Alpa-S officials declined to comment, but both sides have been talking to the Manpower Ministry.
A ministry spokesman said it was 'providing mediation services to help both parties resolve their differences amicably'.
The Straits Times understands the ministry tried to get SIA to delay implementing the new ruling for yet another month, and for Alpa-S to put off the meeting on Friday.
But there is a hitch, as all the business class seats on some of the
affected flights have already been sold.
A last-minute settlement is still possible, and SIA is likely to release a circular to pilots today spelling out its position on the issues.
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This evening's Singapore Straits Times gives
Update on the above :
SIA tried reaching out to pilots
By Ahmad Osman
Straits Times 16/8/2002
With vote on industrial action set for today, airline circular reveals offer to compensate pilots over rest seats
SINGAPORE Airlines told its pilots that it was not using 'brute force' to get them to take their in-flight breaks in economy-class seats instead of business class.
It even offered to compensate pilots who would have to take their meals or rest in economy class when there were no seats available in the first and business class.
But the offer had been rejected by the Air Line Pilots Association Singapore, or Alpa-S, said SIA's senior vice-president for flight operations, Major General (NS) Raymund Ng. He said this in a circular to the airline's 1,600 pilots, dated Aug 13.
A copy of the three-page document was obtained by The Straits Times yesterday.
In it, Maj-Gen Ng explains that the new seating arrangement does not violate the collective agreement between the association and the airline.
He said: 'Even though we honestly believed that we were in compliance with the agreement and could not agree with their position, we were, nevertheless, prepared to discuss the matter further without prejudice to each other's position.'
He also explained why SIA terminated the services of the two pilots at the controls of Flight SQ 006, which crashed in Taipei two years ago, killing 83 people.
A proposed resolution condemning that decision is at the top of the agenda of an extraordinary general meeting which will be held by Alpa-S today.
They will also decide if there should be a secret ballot on taking industrial action over what Alpa-S interprets as management's unilateral move to alter the terms of the collective agreement.
The threatened action includes requiring minimum notice for any changes to pilots' roster or duties, a move which could disrupt flights.
At the centre of the dispute are the new Spacebed seats, which can be converted into beds. Because they are bigger, there are fewer seats available in business class and the airline wants to fill them with paying customers.
In his circular, Maj-Gen Ng recounted in detail the various proposals made since February this year, including an offer to pay the pilots some compensation when they had to sit in economy classs.
He also attempted to correct what he described as 'any misleading impression' that may have been created of the negotiations in the last few months.
For example, he said, the pilots were first informed of the seating changes in February, while Alpa-S had earlier maintained in its own circular to members that it received notice of SIA's decision only in May.
Despite exchanges of letters and several meetings no agreement could be reached as the Aug 1 deadline for implementing the new arrangement approached, he said.
SIA then offered to postpone the new scheme by another month, but the association rejected this, said Maj-Gen Ng.
He added: 'I hope that my clarification will put to rest any misleading impression that may have been created.'
Contacted yesterday, an Alpa-S spokesman said the SIA circular contained inaccuracies and 'was an act of bad faith', for it was released after the Manpower Ministry had started conciliation efforts to settle the dispute.
He said: 'We had yesterday registered our protest with the ministry and reserve our right of response.'
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