Good article , one wonders where it will all end .
All I know is that if BALPA behaved /demanded like this then BA would be nowhere today . BA pilots work hard , do 900 hours a year ( long haul anyway ) and get rewarded appropriately , both financially and lifestyle -wise , with excellent rostering and leave systems that they have huge personal input to and influence over .
There are many non Brit pilots ( must have EU passport ) .
KQ pay looks to be very good for Captains , but I have to doubt the articles assertion that KQ will have to look to some of the airlines mentioned . Not many will leave other well paid jobs especially ones with less volatility involved.
The scenario here is similar to Malaysian 20 years ago , plans to expand by nearly doubling the fleet , lack of enough locals with the experience required , so expats brought in on 3 year contracts , renewable if required , most expats gone after 6 years max , many well before that . Job done , locals filling virtually all flying positions . Why this example cannot be followed by KQ and KALPA is beyond me . EVERY expat will be on a work permit of 2 or 3 years only , and this can be controlled at all times . Nobody will be permanent , so what is the beef ?
What does the Government feel about all this ? Do they want KQ to succeed ?
Are unions all-powerful ?
I know that this is at least the 3rd time that the strike has been threatened in the last 6 years . Will Naikuni cave again ? Does he have any choice ?
Final question , how can any long haul operation work on a maximum of 12 hour duty time , or are there BIG ' overtime ' payments in the Collective Bargaining which are really at the root of all this ?