Thanks again
Some very encouraging words from all of you. Just to clear up a couple of issues;
Needmorecash
TCAG, our parent company put in our MD to slash costs to the bone in order to maintain our financial position prior to 9/11 (quoted figure was £140m throughout TCUK and jmc), not sure what proportion was to be saved by the airline specifically.
As part of this strategy we were kindly asked to take a voluntary paycut (after Balpa had pointed out that the forced 'voluntary' paycut was illegal). We have neither accepted or rejected that paycut and it stays on the table for negotiation, something which the boss is not prepared to do. All we asked was for the proof that accepting it would save jobs directly because from what we can see it would not. Ask yourself this; By implication, if jobs were directly related to paycuts then the more people who take the paycuts the more jobs are saved, so are you telling me that if everyone takes a paycut the employer will staff to a higher level than required? No, they have a 'minimum' number of people required to carry out the day to day business and during the hard times that is what they are going to staff to, pay cut or no pay cut. They are not running a charity.
Spit & Polar
You are indeed correct. Some of our sales figures during the 'Peaks' period are way more than expected, but this issue is nothing to do with crewing levels for S2002, believe it or not! TCUK Tour Ops are downsizing 20% and that it what is dictating crewing levels within the airline. It is going to be a very tiring summer for all who remain. Unless the tour operator increases capacity there will be no increase in crewing levels.
Various packages are on offer to stave off compulsory redundancies so it's just a question of how many pilots above me on the seniority list take an option which then drops the cut off line down closer towards me, or alternatively leave for pastures new..............
Chin still up and fairly confident that it won't actually happen,
PP