Yes indeed, before joining the Norwegian regime and parting with tens of thousands for a type-rating, do the research. Particularly, reports by the media in the home country of Norwegian's CEO, Bjorn Kjos. Let me save you some time:-
"Kjos accused of exploiting desperate pilots" – Dagbladet News, 18 May, 2015.
Link:- http://www.dagbladet.no/2015/05/18/nyheter/norwegian/luftfart/utenriks/arbeidsliv/39219226/
You will be employed by an agency, not Norwegian. Norwegian can “return” you to the agency at any time, without notice, reason or recourse. The notice period is with the agency, not Norwegian. The agency may or may not find you alternative work during any notice period. Your agency contract may also contain a clause indemnifying the agency from any financial responsibility toward you as a result of any action by their client airline. Moreover, in any employment dispute(s), BALPA, other union and/or an employment tribunal, can only represent pilots to the employer agency, not directly to Norwegian. As stated, Norwegian has no obligation whatsoever to respect any agency pilot, so-called Master Seniority List. The word "seniority" does not appear in my agency contract. However, the clause that I have “no employment relationship with the client airline” does.
N
orwegian has a documented history of misleading agency crew. In late 2012 Norwegian unilaterally abolished the promised on/off rotation. Many pilots later expressed regret at leaving the rock solid 5/4 at Ryanair, and some returned. Norwegian also unilaterally abandoned Core employment opportunities and continues to "adjust" terms and conditions.
Core refers to Norwegian's directly employed pilots within Scandinavia. These are Norwegian’s true “employees” and entitled to government employment law protection, labor rights and labor principles directly with their employer, Norwegian - the entity controlling the working life. These employment virtues are not favors to be granted and removed at the whim of vindictive management. Unfortunately, they can be circumvented by unprincipled organizations. Some examples:-
DN News, Mar 4, 2015
“Pilots are threatened with losing their jobs if they refuse to transition to OSM”
DN News, Dec 13, 2012
"Within Norwegian threats of reprisals against crew being used in daily operations"
Nettavisen News, July 10, 2013
"English [Norwegian] intimidates officers and employees from expressing themselves"
DN News, Nov 14, 2013
"None of them [agency crew] want to come forward for fear of their future with Norwegian"
E24 News, Jan 26, 2015
"Threatened pilots to sign a new contract using aggressive tactics and threats to revoke contracts if pilots did not sign"
Dagbladet News, March 3, 2015
"Feeling exposed to a witch hunt from Kjos" - “Dream job was a nightmare”
Dagbladet News, June 19, 2015
"This smells of punishment and discrimination, says deputy Vegard Einanin PARAT, which organizes pilots and cabin staff in English [Norwegian]"
DN News, Dec 4, 2015
"It emerged very strong testimony in court which in my opinion very damaging to confidence in the management of the company and created the basis for settlement. A continuation of what we heard on Tuesday would have been so devastating for Norwegian short and long term that the company had no choice but to arrive at settlement" [the out of court settlement of a sacked Safety Officer]
There are many other reports in the Scandinavian media of Norwegian’s misguided idea of “labor relations”. No doubt, Scandinavians in particular find the abhorrent treatment of workers by Norwegian to be grossly offensive to the region’s reputation for quality of working life. It is no wonder that “Half of Norwegian’s pilots want to quit” and “75% of pilots surveyed would not recommend Norwegian as an employer” - DN News, Sep 26, 2015.
Norwegian has turned hypocrisy into an art form and has the affront to declare on itswebsite:
“We place great importance on ensuring compliance with employees’ basic human rights as outlined in the International Labor Organization’s core conventions”
The Norwegian regime has previously summarily dismissed agency pilots and cabin crew without cause or permitting individuals to respond to any allegations made against them - a blatant violation of ILO core conventions and further testament to Norwegian’s insincerity toward meaningful labor relations. As an agency pilot, you have no employment law, labor rights nor labor principles directly with Norwegian - the entity controlling your working life.
Norwegian’s pilots have formed one united and determined alliance to “
facilitate the effective collective representation for ALL Norwegian pilots” (allegedly). This force is called the Norwegian Pilot Group, NPG. After reading above, you may conclude that any group accepting such continued treatment and conditions, should rather be called the Norwegian Pitiful Group, NPG.
If you have further interest in researching the facts regarding Norwegian's regime and employment law, employment rights and employment principles circumvention, please contact any NPU, NF, ECA, PARAT representative, and/or the respective newspaper from the articles I have quoted:-
Norwegian Pilot Union website:
NPU - Norwegian Pilot Union
Norwegian Airline Pilot Association, NF website:
Norsk Flygerforbund
European Cockpit Association website:
https://www.eurocockpit.be/
PARAT website:
Paratluftfart
Nettavisen News website:
http://www.nettavisen.no/
E24 News website:
http://e24.no/
DN News website:
http://www.dn.no/
Dagbladet News website:
http://www.dagbladet.no/