I love it when expats start telling those of us who have chosen to stay here to harden up.
No xmas/easter holidays for anyone ever or just YOU didn't get what YOU want? It might surprise you to learn that we are in the business of taking people on THEIR holidays. If I get xmas off 1 time in 5 I feel lucky. Its the nature of the beast....it works on seniority...if you don't like it leave the industry.
Not available for anyone, fullstop, blocked out, can't bid for it regardless of seniority.
Base security? Yeah I know moving is a pain...believe me it gets harder as you get older...but again its the nature of our industry and many others. I have been in the same house the last 7 years - by FAR the longest time in any one place in the last 25.
If they need to move an aeroplane to another base where it can get better utilisation so it can make money and pay everyones wages what do you expect them to do?
I expect them to honour their obligations when they state that a pilot will be based in MEL for eg then shortly after state that in fact they have changed their mind and now will be based in DN then continue to have crews overnight and have those based in DN sitting around on STBY. If it was about keeping the company afloat there would be no protest but it is about short term greed. Grown up airlines accept that crews need to be overnighted, its all part of the airline business.
As far as temping in Singapore is concerned if an A320 Capt/FO based Sydney bids for a Sin slot he comes back 2 years later to his same seat in Sydney. Fact.
As J* have proved its only a fact at the time its stated. They will change their mind if its "important for the business to remain profitable" (management speak for stuff you my bonus is under threat).
Stealing flying from your fellow pilots? Are you taking the piss?
The J* EBA is written in such a way that if you want to work hard you get paid ****loads. If you like your roster set in stone not so much. Most people fall somewhere in between those extremes with some variation from time to time.
How about Captains flying as F/Os when F/Os are sitting on STBY. Or the one about the pilot on holiday sitting in a hotel in DN taking flying off those who are based there and not reaching the overtime limit.
I know where SW replacement will come from.
This is why Joe spoke out. Enough is enough and he wanted to make public some of what the company was doing. The fact that they dismissed him rather than taking a less provocative course of action shows in what direction their HR policies are going.