There has been a lot said about the deal on offer here with many suggesting that offering a flexi contract to experienced pilots gives easy an extended probationary period and somehow protects the business.
This is a red herring and very naive. During the first 12 months of employment, the employee has virtually no employment rights anyway. A 6 month probationary period is common place and this can always be extended if there are concerns. As the employee is paying for the type rating and is not actually employed by easy until successful completion, there is no risk whatsoever that I can see. Of course this all follows an extensive selection process which should be robust enough to weed out anyone not suitable. This alone should protect the business let alone a 6 month probationary period.
Extending the probationary period to 2 years (CTC for one year plus a 12 month probationary period with easy) doesn't give you anymore protection against employing the wrong people - it just makes it easier not to pay people a wage should there be a downturn!
So I'm left thinking what is the motivation of easy HR & management in employing experienced people vs cadets?
Again there has been lots of talk on here as to why easy advertised (which they most certainly did) for experienced pilots as opposed to just taking on more cadets.
I think there are a variety of reasons; pressure from BALPA, from easy captains, concerns from insurers and perhaps even a concern over where cadets are coming from given the cost and current financial climate.
What is for sure is that easy advertised for experienced pilots WITHOUT any mention of flexi contracts.
I firmly believe that they want the experience but after they started the recruitment campaign realised that with so many applicants they could screw everyone into accepting cadet terms. Either that or they just lied from the beginning.
The plan is simple. Divide & conquer. If you don't take it plenty will. When this recruitment drive is over there will be lots of people in easy patting each other on the back saying what a wonderful job they all did screwing experienced pilots into accepting the same terms as newly qualified cadets and how they managed to save around £2M pa in wages over the next 2 years. Oh how clever they will all be.
In the meantime you will have potentially hundreds of experienced pilots sweating over how to pay back their £20k loan after giving up a secure job, whilst paying the mortgage & still feeding the wife & kids. All this time easy will be telling you how safety is their number one priority.
What is most concerning for me are the morals of the people running easyJet. This whole process has seemed very under-handed and deceptive. Despite stating that permanent contracts are available dependant on performance, base selection & requirement, I have yet to hear of a single person being offered a permanent contract. In other-words, if they can get enough people to take flexi-contracts they will regardless of how well people did in assessment. Call me old fashioned but that sounds like a lie?
They will justify their decisions with the classic "doing it for the business". I wonder how many of these same people would switch to a flexi contract "for the sake of the business" or be happy for their loved ones to do the same. If their so concerned about maximising the profits of the business, surely none will mind taking a 30% pay cut next year if things get a bit tight?
Maximising profits is one thing. Taking advantage of people and the current situation in aviation employment is another. Its the thin edge of the wedge. Next year they will be looking to maximise profits yet again. I wonder what they will do then?