Great posts and sdage advice from KEG and Angryrat. Very important for the VAA guys to get the scope clauses in their EBA
RIGHT!
Whilst there are some
VB pilots who are salivating at the chance for A320/F100 commands, I doubt that this will happen. Read between the lines of the Press Release: Skywest and Tiger will retain their existing operational structure. There will be no way that
VB pilots can expect to usurp the current promotional paradigm at XR or the Tiger.
What
has been revelealed is the (disgusting!) propensity for Australian pilots to demend entitlement to promotions that are not rightfully theirs. I am tired of the dummy-spits from those who seek to change the rules to suit themselves. This 'attribute' of Australian pilots will be/is the instrument of our downfall! Without fair and reasonable dealings with other pilots, there will never be any improvement in our Ts&Cs.
As examples:
1) As a group, the
VB pilots expect a group Date of Joining list to apply to all promotions: except when it comes to commands at
VB. In the later instance, the perspective is that promotions there 'belong' to the
VB FOs. The result of this is that B777 commands are to be awarded to domestic captains. The cohort of B777 Senior First Officers cannot gain a B777 command, nor can they be considered for a B737/ejet command. I suppose that the
VB pilots think that this is fair!
2) Plenty of the CrzFOs on the B777 had the same experience that would have gotten them in
VB. Most guys and gals had 4-6000 hrs and previous Regional and /or GA jet command time on coming to the B777-Please stop perpetuating
this myth that they are inexperienced (Growler!)! Several CzFOs have held B727, B737 and B757 FO positions and have above the 2000+ hrs. jet FO time to be a SFO (unless you are a protected species
VB FO- only need 1000hrs).
*****
A few nights ago, I had a few beers with amte who is a Qantas Captain. We engaged in dicourse regarding the state of the industry and he coined the phase "
era of smartarse politics" . I instinctively knew what he meant. We have come to a point where what people can legally get away with becomes the standard for behaviour. At one time, people knew that what separated right-from-wrong was defined by cultural mores and accepted social norms. The law became a backstop if there was a point of contention. "Smartarse Politics now is a cancer that pervades our National and industrial politics.
The letter of the law (which should be seen as a minimum standard) now becomes the accepted norm. If it legal, then it is OK. So if it is legal to behave immorally or unethically, it is still ok. As one
VB capatin told me "there are more of us than there are of you and we will get our way at your expense-that's the democratic process".
Really? So it is ok to ruin the career propects of other pilots just because you can vote it that way? Nice. I mean, really nice!
The only 2 ways to apply a promotional system across the Virgin group are either silo the business units so as the existing pilots have opportunities in their chosen group
or group DoJ with no ifs, buts or exceptions. Anyone who what one set of rules for promotions one way, but not the other
is being a smartarse.
Fortunately, most smartarses outsmart themselves; the new low that they set for themselves will come back to haunt them. These pilots are our natural industrial enemies. For obvious reasons, I call them bricklayers.
