Can you elaborate on the raw deal please?
I am a colleague at KLM. The discussions on this topic date back to April of this year on pprune. I realize that my perception is tainted by my position. But could you please explain how KLM uk pilot are getting a raw deal? If I understand the proposed deal, there are three options for the current KLM uk pilot workforce. I don’t know all the ins and outs, but from communications from our union VNV these are the options as I read them:
1) The KLM uk pilot, goes through the procedure to join KLM mainline. He/She joins bottom of the list as of 01-01-2003. He/She retains their present position, but work under the KLM pilot collective bargaining agreement. No later than 01-01-2005 they will have to occupy a position at KLM mainline in line with their seniority position. It is the assertion of the VNV that only a relatively small number of pilots from KLM uk will take this route.
2) They join a new company called KLC uk. Same pay and conditions as before. The operation will be integrated into KLC, so mixed flying of crews. As of a certain date, no new pilots will be taken on by this new company. This new company will operate Fokker 50/70/100 from its base in England throughout all of Europe through Amsterdam. At any time these colleagues will be able to transfer to BUZZ. Of all pilot positions at KLC 1/3 will be set aside for KLC uk pilots. This is commensurate to the present fleet numbers. Also part of the deal is that the present relative percentage of Captains Fokker 70/100 at KLC uk will be retained. The VNV expects most of these pilot to eventually transfer to BUZZ.
3) The colleague at KLM uk transfers to BUZZ.
I am sure that a lot of the KLM uk pilots are very disappointed to say the least at their company’s change in name and strategy. Not many of us want this kind of upheaval in our lives. But I believe that the new path also offers some good prospects. From what I hear KLM has a solid growth plan for BUZZ. I don’t know what the pay and conditions are at BUZZ in relation to KLM uk, but growth means a lot of new positions. I would assume the old guard will be able to finish their careers at KLC uk in the way they had planned. For the people in the middle to lower end of seniority at KLM uk, BUZZ could offer good career prospects. And for the adventurous ones a change to KLM might be of interest. You are more than welcome. And who knows where that could take you. Finally I assume that KLM uk looses a number of its pilots each year to the scheduled and charter airlines in the UK, and that will continue to happen at all the new entities. So all in all I think the package is balanced. Breaking open the seniority list at KLM would have meant the end of the VNV in my opinion. This is the first international merger of operations that I know of at a major. This is the deal on the table. This what the VNV has communicated to us. What has BALPA told you guys?
And as a frame of reference how is the integration of the regional operation into BA going. Are the regional pilots getting a better deal over there?
Regards, O.