4466 should count his blessings.
Oh I do, I do.
Every time I strap on the jet, I count my blessings that I had the gumption to apply for BA, and that I worked damned hard to pass the interview.
BA pilots are mostly insulated from the outside world, having worked for BA for 35 years and GSS for 7 it was enlightening to me to see how lucky I had been to be cosseted by BA for most of my career.
Oh I absolutely agree. Hamble guys such as you, absolutely have little idea just how lucky they were/are! We still have similar guys in BA. Lots of them. However since I have had extensive flying experience with two other employers prior to my time in BA, I thankfully don't fall into your bracket. Of course BA is far closer to market rate these days, both in terms of pay and productivity, so your comment is largely moot. But having been so long out of the loop you can't be expected to know that your halcyon days have long since passed.
BA mainline rates of pay would make an in-house cargo operation uncompetitive hence the outsourcing.
Possibly. But of course secondees were not paid anything like mainline rates. Which is why they have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the sad demise of the contract between GSS and
International Airlines Group! The time for debating secondees is long since passed.
Had I been flying for GSS, I would be
far more interested in why the rate of pay for flying a 744/8 was no better than for many UK turbo prop jobs. That my friend is precisely where
YOU come in! People who simply can't manage to retire on six figure pensions completely skew the market rate for 'ego' jobs such as these! So you see it's people like you who were the real enemy to decent T&Cs. Not the secondees!
But as you rightly say. It all comes down to economics in the end, and the customer has the absolute right to take their business wherever they like. It's little different to shopping in the high street. If you can't differentiate on quality, the only thing left is price!
JW411
Well done. You can use Google! 4468 is
still the world speed record holder. A true superlative!