is this acceptable

[kichwa tembo]

i'm currently working for a relatively successful airline in east africa, and am worried about the conditions we pilots work under.

to start with,pilots on the longhaul fleets fly an average of 85-90 hours with no sector pay and productivity of about $18 an hour after 60 hrs.( taxable)

most pilots haven't been on leave for 2 years (3 for some) due to a shortage. we have a leave allowance of 30 days a year( which the company wants to reduce to 25) the company now wants to 'buy' the accumulated leave on condition that we accept the lesser days henceforth.

we get a fixed 'layover' allowance of $165( 175 for captains) per night spent at outstations.(taxfree)

my questions are:

1. how does one justify sector pay? my company seems to think that the basic salary pays for any flying below the productivity margin. also, what is an acceptable amount of flying per month in longhaul and how can i back this up?

2. what does your company do when, due to exeegencies of work they cannot send you on leave? do they offer to buy it? and if so, what formula do they use?

3. is 165$ enough allowance for any pilot flying to expensive destinations in this day and age?

thank you in anticipation.

[cavortingcheetah]

:) Salamu, kichwa tembo,

May the mother of all the elephants be as kind to you as she has been to me.

Jambo habari:

1. Lost cause.
2. Not never, not no how.
3. No. Try something more like US $ 250 per night if that has to include your accomodation.

There may be many responses to this query and you may rest assured that each airline will have its own progrom ( yes, I know what that word means).

Go well. Sorry about the linguistics. It is a long time since I ate migomba under the mchungwa.:D

[kichwa tembo]

ahsante duma!

not sure who you're with, but from your response,sounds like we're in the same boat. i just don't understand how this became acceptable!

mahe or port luis btw.

[cavortingcheetah]

;) Almost retired. thank goodness.
Mahe when I can get there.

I can only suggest that you try to move on up North or form a union (dodgy?)

cavorting must translate but I cannot do it so:

Good luck.

duma, duma.
:D

[kichwa tembo]

funny thing is we have a union. unfortunately the current agreement is from 'pre- CRM/human factors' days. would you believe that on some routes where the more progressive airlines have inflight relief, us ' superpilots' have none.

the struggle continues

[Gerard123]

SAA gives around $200 US to long haul pilots.

[cavortingcheetah]

:) Funnily enough, it was a bird pilot, with whom I was in lust, running a quick charter for my father and me up to a Hilary Hook. bush camp, many moons ago, that started me off flying.
I am eternally grateful to Kenya and those who live in her for such a propitious start in life.:D
Oh yes, I drove there from the UK in 1969, hands solo.
Give me The Aberdares on a misty morning with a rhino hidding in the trees.:D

[cavortingcheetah]

;) tembo.

Not that I shall ever take part now-even if it is still run. But yes, a lot of fun.
My sympathy with the weather. I am stuck in England for a few more days. Yesterday, 8c, windy and a log fire in the drawing room. Not surprising that the natives here are morose and mumbling. I would be too!
Not as much feedback to your questions as I would have hoped. I think that the SAA figure of $200US was probably for expenses only with the company having picked up the tab for the hotel room.
Go safely.
duma.

[kichwa tembo]

thanks gerard. ours is just for expenses. is yours? what is your monthly productivity hours threshhold?

[Gerard123]

It's just for expenses, I don't know what the productivity threshold is, I don't work for SAA, the figures I qoute are from an SAA pilot I spoke to.