Latest developments
The company is seeking (but not hiring apparently) Type rated crew for the A319 and EMB145, and experienced flight attendants in any aircraft - Flight attendants are currently expected to work all fleet aircraft. The 3rd EMB145 is arriving 1st of May. The 3rd A319 is arriving 1st of June.
The company is maintaining a understaffed mode of operation, resulting in stress and fatigue with most employee's, not to mention constant scrutiny from the GCAA. Day's off are legal minimum or less (7/8) (depending on interpretation) and "day's off down line" are being considered legal day's off and being scheduled as "day off". Currently half the legal day's off for all flight crew in the A319, are down line in another country. You do receive per diem while downline and off, but currently no additional compensation for being out of base. Emb Crew are flying 4-6 short sector day's (20-40 minutes) and some International flights with minimum day's off spread thru the month.
A typical new hire takes 4-8 weeks to process with Emirates Visa/medical/ GCAA licensing/permits/medicals/initial training / travel. Not a worry for the new hire, as you are getting paid---but the hiring decision comes post haste and affects the current under staffing. It will not change, as it is more economical for the company to maintain this method of operation, than to be properly staffed, and to offer quality of life conditions or allowances - such as standard housing allowance or education allowance for kid's, to the employee's. Flight crew are on salary, no flight pay and per diem for only International flights.
They have not reached the level of "having" to offer better terms and conditions--yet. But if and when they do, it may affect all employee's---which is why it is not likely to happen. There are already issues with senor initial employees having different T&C (rotation), and some training / management pilots not being aligned with each other in level T&C (over ride /additional salary).
For some, this is an improvement over their current or previous employment- for some it is merely tolerable - for the rest, it is a stepping stone to better conditions. The grass is usually greener on the other side, if you are looking.
"Submitted respectfully, on this day, 27 March 2014 - Douglas C. Neidermeye".