Rostering myth: easyJet operates a fixed pattern for all its pilots.
No it does not.
Flexicrew pilots are on FRV2 rules, constantly. Constantly random roster. If flown hard on this you are extremely likely to be fatigued. This can result in a random "pattern" of 5/2 which you definitely do not want. That can happen at any base. It happens at LGW and LPL. 5 earlies, 2 off, 5 earlies, 2 off can happen. It is knackering.
IF you managed to get a permanent UK contract, you would still remain on the FRV2 random roster for up to 4 seasons i.e. 2 years. After 2 years you should then go on to the fixed pattern of 5/3/5/4 i.e. 5 earlies, 3 off, 5 lates, 4 off. This is the fixed pattern that is talked about. However, there are constant complaints that the company tries its best t bend the rules and push the rostering agreements to get more and more out of this pattern using transitions.
Also, the company is now hell bent on removing this fixed pattern and replacing it with other patterns that will increase pilot flexibilty so that the company has greater freedom to roster the pilots the way it wants. There has been a company/union project, Merlin, running for about 8 months looking at this. As usual, the company has tied pay into other issues such as rostering, leave and lifestyle as a way to force pilots to give it what it wants. Then it aims low with insulting offers from the outset. This is standard negotiating practice for easyJet. What this project is currently aiming towards is 5/4 with unlimited transitions as the main pattern, then some other permutations. The way the project has been conducted, behind closed doors, is lacking. The final outcome remains to be seen.
So, fixed pattern simply isn't available to you in the UK at all on flexicrew, nor on a permanent UK contract until you've had 2 years on it. And they aren't giving out permanent UK contracts anyway, and probably won't do because there is an endless supply of people who, for some reason, in spite of the facts, want to do this to themselves.
Here's the real rub: When Flexicrew was the only thing on the table, it was the "new" thing and we had no heads up it was coming and were too far in to do anything but press on. We all felt pissed off by that. We were on the changeover point. If you are reading this or anything I've written, there is no such point for you. You are freely entering this system armed with more knowledge than I ever had about CTC, eJ and the Flexicrew contractor situation.
Ignorance, therefore, is not your defence any more. If you freely enter and choose this for yourself, there will be no sympathy for you at the other end when you are struggling to eat in a low hour month. What you are doing by entering this system is literally destroying terms and conditions in the industry. This is why I got off it as fast as I could.
There are multiple sides to this, but if you stopped signing up, the contractual conditions would eventually have to change.