I'll bite clotted.
This from the AIPA newlsletter to membership
22 July 2009
Excess of Pilots and Possible Redundancy Update
As you are aware, the Company has indicated that there is currently a significant excess of pilots, and they may provide pilots with 6 months redundancy notices within the next few months. AIPA is in the process of negotiating with the Company how best to handle this situation and avoid redundancies, whether that is within the provisions of the current Certified Agreement or via a variation.
The survey that is currently available to you will enable AIPA to gauge the membership’s preferences for dealing with the excess of pilots. I would strongly encourage you to participate so that your view and preferences can be heard. The survey closes at 0800 on Friday, 24 July.
AIPA’s Committee of Management will review the survey results and decide on a course of action at next Tuesday's Special COM meeting. Then there is an AIPA Special General Meeting on Wednesday, 29 July at 1000 (at St George Rowing Club, Wolli Creek, NSW) to put to the membership the proposed path that is to be taken.
If the Certified Agreement is to be varied, this can only be achieved by mutual negotiation and agreement between AIPA and the Company. The proposed change then needs to be passed by a majority vote by pilots. Pursuing these avenues takes time, possibly more time than we currently have available.
AIPA is strongly recommending and requesting that all ranks and fleets consider applying for flexilines. This is particularly pertinent to B767 F/Os and all S/Os on all fleets as they have nearly exhausted the various forms of leave available for the Company to use as a method of managing the pilot surplus.
The Company has requested that applications for flexilines effective BP266 be received by close of business tomorrow – Thursday, 23 July 2009. Flexilines are available for 90 [44]/ 110 [55] / 130 [66] / 150 [71.5] hrs for a minimum of three bid periods.
And the following weeks newsletter.
AIPA Insights 29 July 2009
THE PRESIDENT’S VIEW
Managing the Surplus: Special General Meeting Feedback
Today AIPA held a Special General Meeting at the St George Rowing Club to discuss all issues relevant to managing the surplus and possible redundancies facing our junior members in the long haul mainline operation. In this edition of AIPA Insights I will give a brief summary of the meeting.
The meeting was attended by over 200 members.
I personally invited Flight Operations management to attend the meeting, but neither Capt Peter Wilson nor Capt Dick Tobiano were able to do so.
I have informed the meeting that:
The Company has asked AIPA to find a saving of roughly $8 million to cover the cost of carriage of the pilots that may be surplus. AIPA is in the process of verifying costings of various options proposed and will be meeting with the Company this coming Friday to negotiate, in more detail, the options available to both parties. AIPA will keep the membership informed as these discussions progress and, should changes to your Certified Agreement be required, it will firstly be discussed by the Committee of Management, after which a majority vote of members would be required. AIPA and the Company are currently discussing ways of avoiding any pilot losing their job.
As you know, AIPA recently distributed a quick survey to gauge the thoughts and preferences of Qantas mainline members, and I was pleased to see a very healthy 82% of you responded. Other indications are that 93% of those surveyed thought it was positive that AIPA was working cooperatively with the Company to address the redundancy problem. What was also pleasing to hear was that 81% of the Captains and First Officers surveyed were willing to have a “collective” attitude to potential redundancies. AIPA will use this survey as guidance as we address the current issues affecting many of our members.
As you are also aware, the Company and AIPA have been encouraging long haul mainline members who can afford it, to consider taking Flexi-Lines to avoid the need for redundancies - and 247 of you have responded. I have to thank you for that - especially the Second Officers who have made a sacrifice to save your colleagues’ jobs. As AIPA and the Company discuss these issues it must be pointed out that if a collective solution is agreed upon, those who have taken Flexi-Lines will be given an opportunity to resume a full line.
Many great ideas in addressing the current surplus have been received and I thank those of you who have sent ideas forward and encourage more to be forthcoming. Some options being considered include deferring some or all of the 15 August long haul increment and reducing MGH across the board to come up with the savings. These options would require a variation to the Long Haul Certified Agreement and, as indicated previously, a vote of the membership. AIPA will keep you informed as this develops.
Sorry about the depth, but as you can see Qantas mainline pilots have always been proactive in their attempts to help when they can.
And what was that payout to Geoff again?????
