I most certainly don't see the job of a Train Driver as an example of perfection (if nothing else I worry for my mental health in the long term due to boredom) and I'm no union activist, but If I’m bitter about anything it’s that the guys on the inside of the aviation industry don’t seem to have done anything to stop the rot. I have refused the ‘opportunities’ offered by the Captain Curds of this world to pay a vast sum of money to work, whilst lining several undeserving pockets. It didn't do me any good and the industry didn't appear to notice and that's my point I guess - change can only come from within.
Kapish,
I think that you’ve got the right idea. I’ve spent close to £60k on flying, which is hard to write off but at least I chose to earn it first. A friend from my CPL course recently got in touch with an early warning that his company were going to be hiring this winter and offered to put my CV in front of the CP. After the initial excitement at the best sniff of a job that I’ve had, I had to call him back and say sorry I can’t afford to! A jet job with a half decent starting salary but self funded type rating would see me over £100k out of pocket over 5 years. At that time I MIGHT make Captain and get a big payrise. But will Captains pay have moved with inflation over those 5 years? Unlikely I think – I’d probably be back up to Train Driver money
Wiggy,
When I joined LU I was paid a reduced salary whilst training (circa 60% from memory). Full salary was awarded on passing a test a few weeks before the final driving test (but failing the same test would return you to the job market!). Once qualified, all drivers are paid the same salary regardless of length of service or any other factors. So perhaps it would be fairer to compare mean pilot salary to the £50k. Or, as Train Drivers are single operators who shoulder the responsibility for the safety of their train and everyone on board, perhaps fairer still would be to compare mean captain salary...
Voluntary overtime is a no-no so the salary is pretty much what you’ll get.
Clanger32/Superpilot,
I agree that lack of competition on the railways changes the game, but it can’t be the whole story. On the trains, all drivers earn the same and they’re all in it together. The benefits that they enjoy have been hard won over decades and there’s a feeling that you should be willing to fight for the next generation even if there would be no immediate benefit to you personally.
The pilot workforce has started to resemble a pyramid marketing organisation where the ones at the top hold the influence and get the big rewards and the army at the bottom face ever diminishing returns.
What do you think would happen if London Underground advertised next week for ‘Train Captains’ who would pay £30k to be trained and then work for the balance of their first year for nothing? Exactly!
It’s already happened in your industry and tragically, no-one offered any resistance!
Blueskiesup,
Given the drivel that the media spout regarding aviation, what makes you think that their work in other areas is any more accurate?
Yes there is a deal to cover the Olympics -
because the company wish to alter our terms of employment for that period. Why would we give that away?
They want the option to make some of us work longer/start earlier/ finish later and those that do will be rewarded. As a pilot you must be familiar with the difficulties that that causes when trying to maintain any sort of work/life balance. The rest of us will have to leave earlier/arrive home later because half of London’s roads will be closed to the masses during the event and public transport will be at bursting point and we’ll get I think £500 pre tax for that. Whilst £1800 may be theoretically achievable (I don’t know, I haven’t checked), the vast majority will, I suspect, receive much less. Personally I’m expecting about £30 a day after tax for making sure that I overcome all the extra obstacles and get to work on time – not that much for another hour out of my day that I don’t particularly want to give. Out of interest, what value would you put on reduced sleep and less time to see your kids for 2 weeks during the school holidays?
One thing that the unions do not do well at is managing the media.
I’m a member of ASLEF because that union provides some protection in the workplace and looks after my interests as a Driver. As a member I believe that if the union call on me to support strike action then I should do so.
Over the last 9 years I must have read 20 or more pieces in the media that state ASLEF are going to strike on the underground. I haven’t been on strike once for them though! Admittedly I’ve had rest days on one or maybe two strike days, but that’s still less than 10% of the level that the media hype would have you believe. And you have to dig pretty deep in the articles to find the true source of any dispute – it really is not always about money!