To take this thread vaguely back on subject. . . . . . . .
We received (several days later ) a vaguely explanatory email from the DFO, with some excuse, but no "excuse-me".
In the meantime, via social media, quite a number of pilots accepted to fly reduced roster, on the basis that this would possibly allow for the laid off colleagues to reduce the period of unpaid leave, or , at least, receive 25% salary for a month & 50% for the next.
The organisation/motivation for this came from the pilots themselves. Another email was sent, with some other excuse, & a half reassurance that this wouldn't be repeated for these guys ( Good luck to the new entrants next year however) in which management tried to imply that they were some way to be credited with this initiative, that is B.S. it came from the pilots/for the pilots.
Way back in the end of Summer, an offer was made to all the contract (but not core) FO's of the availability of 50% or 80% roster (or even periods of unpaid leave) over the Winter, there was no mention that, if no-one took it ( & most thought, very reasonably "better to sit at home on 100% salary & do less. . . . . well, you would ! ) the next stage would be enforced unpaid leave.
In this instance, the pilots have stepped up to the plate & several individuals have had the pain reduced ( a bit at least)
This is a very heartening development, and bodes well for the next stage of our current struggle to avoid Ryanairisation (Oh, in my humble opinion of course)
The agencies PARC & ARPI have been advised that their services will not be required after the middle of the year, the 3rd stoogie (Confair) will not continue in 2015. Pilots hired through Confair have been given the joyous news that the company would like them to be employed (either permanently or as Contractors , depending on how long they have been in the company) through an affiliate of a "shipping agency" (looking at the shipping industry doesn't that sound promising
) whose aviation credentials thus far seem to mainly involve the "employment" of our USA based 787 cabin crew. With 1month & 1 day to go until termination with Confair no-one has been presented with a Contract for perusal, merely a "half-promise" that conditions will remain the same (why oh why would we not believe them. . . . . . do you want a list from the last 2 years ? ? )
In the meantime, at least 80% of Spanish based pilots have signed up to SEPLA & a request made to NAS for recognition. . . the response ? to pass it on to NAR (Norwegian Air Resources) who, in spite of being the future employers in Spain via NAR ES have decided to play the evasive trick "well, we don't employ you" . . .EXCUSE ME ? "we only provide you to NAS" . . .Oh yeah ? so NAS sent the request to you, but it isn't your Dept ? Ah OK , that is very clear, is this what we call "passing the buck" perhaps, NAS say "it isn't us" & you say " Nah not us either"
A recent second communication to NAS after the news that we would be expected to change agency awaits a response, & in the meantime we have the news that recently recruited Cadets, who were given LGW base, appear to be looking at the rather expensive luxury of providing their own accommodation/transport in Oslo , where it looks like they will spend the 1st 6mths of their time in NAS for Line Training ( & no doubt the rest of the Summer) to keep "Core" artificially small . . . just like all the guys from last year who joined from Ryanair expecting a Contract base, and instead found themselves on a temporary Scandi contract with all the attendant expenses & unforeseen (at least by them ) tax responsibilities . . . they were almost as happy as those that joined before them with the promise of rapid command (which has now migrated to Q4 2015/ Q1 2016 at earliest.)
Welcome aboard the "Happy Ship"
at least we take a little bit of care of each other, even if our employer doesn't seem to wish to.
Edited to add (as the Mods saw fit to remove my post from the main Norwegian thread) we now await with baited breath the "permanent contract".
It has been vaguely stated that conditions will be "very" similar to what we have as Contractors (as ever , the devil is in the detail) however, we have conflicting reports from different Spanish base meetings from colleagues who attended.
One thing that is certain however, is that the company is benchmarking Vueling when deciding the renumeration they wish to offer the Spanish Cabin Crew.
Should they wish to lower the bar to the same level for Flight Deck personnel this will surely spell the end of anyones desire to remain here.
Given the harm they have done to their reputation with this recent debacle, it will be very optimistic on their part indeed if they choose to score another "own goal" in such rapid succession,it is notable that the flood of applicants from RYR has already dried up (if not indeed reversed as per the "rumours")
The only thing that may give them the courage to try such tactics would be the fact that net expansion for next year is very low, before ramping up in 2016, maybe they do indeed feel like giving it a punt. . . if so, the training Dept can cancel that "quiet" year they were looking forward to.