Hi all,
I have tabulated the proposed change but can't paste it in as the format disappears but it shows that a new joiner post Mar '12 will be £283,500 worse off over their career if they retire at 65 than if they joined prior to Mar '12. see below.
Year / 24 Year Scale / 34 Year Scale / Yearly loss / Total Loss
1 / £50,000 / £50,000 / 0 / 0
2 / £52,500 / £51,750 / £ 750 / £750
24 / £107,500 max lvl / £90,250 / £17,250 / £207,000
34 / £107,500 / £107,500 / 0 / £283,500
This is a huge pay reduction for any new joiner and can only be interpreted as a 'B Scale'. I think this may have an affect on recruitment as after 12 years (rough time to command) as an FO a new joiner will be on about £70k rather than £78k and be £50k down over those 12 years. The higher pay at BA was an offset for the much longer time to command than easy/ryan/J2. If that benefit is lost then the economics of moving to BA in mid career is harder to justify. Like-wise pilots at Monarch/Thompson/TC on their legacy payscales will take a much bigger drop on a move to BA. As Chief Willie says it might now be a better decision to stay with your present outfit and a quicker command.
Another option would be to cut the number of paypoint levels for all. Anyone above the new maximum level stay where they are and anyone below increases only to the new maximum. This way everyone takes some pain.
If the pilots voted no and BA did introduce a BA Express then depending on its T&Cs BA Express would no longer be at the top of the career tree but only half way up, level with easy/ryan etc. BA Express would therefore not be able to entice experienced pilots to work for them in the same way they do now.
However you look at it, its a major kick in the slats and I will now have to revisit the decision of pay over lifestyle with the move to BA not looking as certain as it was.
Happy New Year to all and best regards