quite sad
It's quite sad indeed to see how easily the pilot community is ready to accept just about any terms and conditions in the UK for copilots that is. For the nigels amongst you, I might have been incorrect regarding the 900 hr cap for 75% rosters, how disgraceful of me! I shall rot in hell. However, yet again I notice how easily captains are happy to support the dwindling of F/O terms and conditions, the selfishness and individualism in the UK has reached heights never seen before.
I recently spoke to an english captain who was quite happy not to support F/O contracts as long as his own salary stayed the same or improved slightly.
Regarding BALPA and it's mishandling of the crisis in January/February of this year, a whole thread is needed. Some of you seem perfectly happy that the company decided to stop talking to the union. In the words of philip smallwood, negotiations were taking too long! Such utterance is just unbelievable and unacceptable, how could you then fall for the sweet talking in the engagement campaigns? The UK is the only country which has seen the company stop talking to the majority union and force a contract onto a group of pilots. Once again, the whole thing has been accepted only because the company has been clever enough to throw a few bits and pieces to the captain population, individualism anyone? Some inflation rise, some holiday pay. But the big picture is the company move was extremely bold at times of plenty. Only in the UK could they get away with it.
Have you ever wondered why BALPA is the only union who doesn't publish french/italian and Portuguese newsletters? Why is it that we are never in the know before or during negotiations. Why aren't you ever asked as a BALPA member to vote for this or that change in T+Cs? Yes BALPA has been working hand in hand with the company over the last few years and again if you think they haven't, I suggest you look a little beyond the nearby fence of your personal interests. By the way, the only reason copilots are not reacting to the changes is because they are all new and have never known any better. Some are very disappointed of course, but how can they speak for themselves whilst they work in an environment of management by threat and fear. What threat and fear? How about the email sent two weeks after the contracts earlier this year, asking copilots to sign the new contract lest they may not have a job six months later? They are mostly young people with no previous work experience and the company has used that against them.
Are there options? Possibly. How about starting a cell at the RMT? At least some real union who stands up for the whole work force, not just a portion of it and which won't frown at calling for strike when the need arises.
By the way, if you're still wondering why BALPA doesn't publish other union's newsletters, how about they couldn't get away with it? The Portuguese are asking for reward in line with their jobs, quite simply. The french for more respect of the prerogatives of the captain and for lifestyle/part-time options.
Let's hope that BALPA has not set a precedent and that foreign unions will be strong enough to support their base, i.e the F/O contract.
If you're hoping to spend some years in this company like me, you should know that YOUR long term interest lies with the co-pilots.
And for those juicy oranges amongst you, I love my company and I'm very happy to be here and not in Monarch/Flybe. But I realise the need to distance myself from the company propangada.
Finally, to clear the F/O salary scale issue, 2010 figures were used. See the extract below from 2010 figures. Captains who were too happy to get inflation pay rises in the period 2010-2013 know it wasn't insignificant!
easyJet Pilots’ Pay and Benefits – 2010/2011 Appendix 1
Basic Salary (Effective from 1st October 2010)
Captain £85,617
Captain £77,056 (1st 6 months)
Senior First Officer £51,910 (1st 6 months)
Senior First Officer £46,719
First Officer £42,286
First Officer £38,058 (1st 6 months)
Second Officer £33,827