Emerald Airways Pilots Win Union Recognition

[NG708]

After a long and bitter fight, during which the management ignored the requests of over 80% of it's pilot workforce, pleased to say that as of 22nd December 2005, the pilots of Emerald Airways now have union recognition.

Despite requests from the Conciliation Committee right up to the 11th hour, the management utterly ignored them. As a result the CAC declared immediately in favour of the pilots, ruling that they had sufficient members for immediate and instant recogniton without the need for a ballot.

Well done to everyone who stood up to be counted, especially the union reps who were threatened and even illegally suspended at times for supporting the call for recognition.

Although the naysayers claimed that it would never happen, that the company would never change it's sharp practices and that the pilots should just 'put up with it' as it was a stepping stone to other things (aren't most airlines these days), there is now a real chance for things to change.

Congratulations all round, looks like hell really DID freeze over!!

Merry Christmas:p

[snaga]

Congratulations!!

[Colonel Klink]

After reading the above tactics used by the management, it has become quite clear why you need union recognition. Good luck!!!

[CAP509castaway]

To all at Emerald,
Good luck guys don't hold your breath for a pay rise or improvement in T's & C's.Somehow I don't think much will change.Vote with your feet!
:ok: :ok: :ok:

[Riverboat]

An event like this doesn't happen very often, and it will be interesting to see whether Emerald go from strength to strength, or whether they actually start to suffer industrial disruptions, and ultimately this pushes them over the edge. In which case it would be a pyrrhic victory for the unionists.

Not sitting on either side of the fence, but we should look back in a year's time and see if this really has been a good thing for the staff. I hope it has, but given the frailty of Emerald, it might not be.

[Cornflake]

Interesting comment riverboat. I suppose the ultimate question is whther or not the job is worth having at any price? In the 'n' th degree, it goes to whther BA Ts and Cs improve consistently and hence knock on down to the rest of the Industry, there has to be a benchmark, unfortunately if people (and I don't necessarily mean Emerald guys, who have striven mightily for this) continue to accpet minimal Ts and Cs, then they drag themselves down. If the Company can't afford to pay propoer rate for the job, then the Company should not be in business. Would we object if Eastern European Ts and Cs were used to lower Company overheads???? I think we all know theanswer to that, so why should we accept Emerald practices?

[Say again s l o w l y]

A very true comment from Cornflake.

In the long term this can only help to make Emerald a better place for EVERYONE, not just crews.

Emerald has always had the potential to be a great little operation, it has only been spoiled by the intransigence and stupidity of one individual.

There has been a lot of blood spilled to get to this point (some of it my own, though in a very minor way compared to those who put in such a massive amount of effort to get this far.) I hope that all the crew work together and grasp this opportunity to make life better for themselves AND more productive for the company. Let's face it, there has always been a staggering amount of wasted time and effort getting around unnecessary problems.
This should be a start of good things for Emerald and if the T's and C's of the "cheapest" operator in the business get raised, it can only be a good thing for the rest of us.

[Riverboat]

Fair comment, Cornflake. And Say again Slowly, too. I have no idea what you have had to put up with, and I don't think anyone could disagree with your sensible and responsible positions.

[Germstone]

Emeralds current frail financial position has been bought about by the mismanagement of adopting the ATP aircraft into the fleet.

Plain and simple!

The union recognition can only be a good thing for the crews that have had to put up with some of the poorest Ts and Cs and pay within this sector of the industry.

WELL DONE to you all

I am sure MOB will now have to tread a little more carefully rather than just treading ON everyone :-)