It’s not about the money, but it is the only denominator that the company has at its’ disposal to address the problems in the short term.
Since the pay review was announced and the shock rippled through the workforce, the level of disenchantment with management has only increased. There remains no single individual who willingly represents the needs or concerns of the pilot group to management. There is no individual championing the pilots as a group to be supported, rather than berated – Fleet managers don’t do it, Chief Pilots don’t do it, JA isn’t doing it, TCAS is definitely not doing it, and AAR doesn’t want to listen about it! So the needs of the group are effectively being ignored.
The pay review did nothing for the average pilot. The lower productivity threshold did not give pilots the option of choosing to fly in excess of 92hrs per month. The lower productivity threshold did not assist those pilots doing 15 turnarounds a month to be paid for their Herculean efforts or even achieve productivity. The lower productivity threshold did not address the additional duty hours worked by the pilots outside of their “normal salaried 8.00am – 4.00pm office hours” in non-flying duties.
Basic management has traditionally dictated that if an employee’s pay and leave are honored, then they will generally do what you ask of them willingly.
The litany of examples provided by pilots of their reduced EK pay and conditions with respect to inflation, questionable profit share calculations, previous productivity thresholds, ground duties, emergency procedures, first aid training, online courses, and sim sessions, have been coupled with the lack of available leave, and the result is no longer any honor or integrity shown to the pilot group. Pay rises of between 3%-6% for office staff, and 25+ week bonuses for managers, has further exacerbated the chasm between the office and the front line.
Trust and integrity can be demonstrated, but the quickest fix is an extraordinary pay review. There is a precedent of it occurring once in EK’s history, and back then it did make a difference. It would be the public indication of the first step in a change to current management practices, but remains solely a discretionary tool available to the select few in upper management.
The G.