To all EK FO
I joined EK as an FO at the moment I was a Capt with a flag-carrier that ran into serious financial trouble and was treated like a piece of !!!! by some ego’s (EK TRI & TRE) that never made it into any serious company before they got into EK during the early nineties.
One piece of advice is: you must be very careful not to identify yourselves with the ego of EK itself. It is not because you have some skills, that other expats (domestic help etc.) do not have, that this means you can expect to be treated any different.
The Middle East is the Mekka of modern slavery, EK owns you. In their perception you are no different than a domestic help from Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka etcetera.
I understand and I feel a lot of empathy with the position the EK FO's find themselve in today, but a reality check is needed. You decided to go to the Middle East. We had turmoil in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and at the present time in Syria.
So get over it, look around you and even in your own house. Be happy that “you” are not the one that is cleaning the toilets.
It is not because you are a domestic help that you could not be even a pilot. For many it means that they simply never got the chance to educate themselves.
Sociopaths run big companies, they have to be, otherwise they would not be able to take the decisions that are necessary. The same is true for every doctor that cannot let the pain and emotions of his patients get to him.
Some of you ran away from Ryanair because you felt that they had no respect for their employees.
EK is like a prostitute; she looks nice and sexy but is rotten to the bone on the inside.
Stay calm, cool and collected and let your situation not affect your family or you will be a long way from home and all by yourself.
Economics is the same as war..... It’s civilians that are the soldiers. If you can weaken your opponent by hiring some of their staff, then that is what they will do. The only risk they take is rioting in their own ranks.... it is not going to happen.
Last edited by Pitch Up Authority; 1st March 2012 at 13:38.