Originally Posted by tom775257
schadenfreude
Tom,
You have to understand what it was like back then, in the big orange world.
We had piles of new pilots arriving, on a really nasty zero-hours contract (in effect). Morale was low, and dissatisfaction was high.
Us oldies, though, did our best for these new pilots. While the company was financially shafting them, we treated them as well as any other new entrant. Possibly more so than usual, given the hardship, and the shared venom at the same target.
There were two groups, though. Those that recognised that they were inexperienced apprentices and they would have to put their head down and work through the difficult times, on the basis that better times were ahead. And those who screamed hate. Hate at the company, hate at the Captains, hate at CTC.
Many of those that hated got jobs at Monarch. And then they gloated and hated - possibly more so once they had a secure offer. They were very difficult to operate with. Some nice guys also got jobs with Monarch too.
In the mean time, we all got together and fixed the issue for these new pilots. Everyone did. BALPA, Captains, First Officers. We pulled as a team, and we ended up with a resolution that all parties are happy with (or equally unhappy, if you are a negotiation pessimist).
Now, we would be delighted to have the "good guys" back. But those haters, those that spat vile at those who were doing their best to help... well, we wish them well, but you have to understand that easyJet are unlikely to welcome them back. It's only a handful, but we remember them well. It's an old adage that you should never burn your bridges in aviation, but it is oh so true.