LocBlew - This is a very difficult and complex subject. EasyJet operates within many different European countries. Each one of those countries has a pilot union representing its members. The reality is that some of those unions are stronger than others, due to the existing legislation covering union activities within each one of the countries concerned. As we do not have a base in Portugal at the moment, there is no union in place to deal with contracts there. Possibly not surprising, the contract on offer there is much poorer than all the other contracts within easyJet. The reality is that no union I am aware of has the right to prevent easyJet from doing this in a country where they are not currently working.
It is easyJet's stated view that they would like local pilots as opposed to commuters. The problem with that is that people tend to work where the money is. The Lisbon contract is so much worse than all the other ones that, even if you were a Portuguese pilot, it is inevitable you would attempt to leave and work in Spain, for example. In easyJet's defence, it was a very marginal decision to start the Lisbon base in the first place, as Portugal is in an economic shambles. What they do not want is to expose themselves to the liabilities of permanent employees in Portugal when they can have contract pilots the first two years as they wait and see if the business is successful or not. As in all countries, sooner or later they will have to comply with Portuguese law and liabilities if they wish to do business there. They did not, however, need to do that initially. It is always a balance. All easyJet employees wish easyJet to be successful, but not at any price. We will just have to see how this all pans out, but my gut feeling is that in two years time the base will have been successful and permanent contracts will be given to all employees there.