NP2010. A number of pilots were contracted for the 737 with an end date at the end of October. The contract included a small bond which expires at the end of the contract, and it was stated that this was to cover initial and line training. The contract is direct with Air Baltic not through an agency. Some of the pilots had experience on the 737, and some had recently completed a type rating with BT Training, gone through the interview process, but have considerable experience on other types. There is no indication at this time as to whether any or all of us will be kept on after October: we will have to wait and see. That was the contract, and we accepted it: nobody made us do it!
Some other 737 FOs had completed a type rating on the 737 with BT but had no experience on other types, and were offered a summer contract (as above) with a line training package which I believe is 70 Euro an hour for 300 hours. During the period of the contract they are being paid according to the BT salary scale appropriate to their experience (so the 70 Euro per hour is being deducted from salary). It was their choice, no one made them do it! I don't agree with it, and I don't think they do (I was on the induction course with some of them) but they feel that it is the best chance to get their career going, and I can't argue with them, and their motivation.
I hope this clarifies some of the rumour that has been posted on this thread (OK, I know it's a rumour network, but here is some fact)!