Send the whining QR pilot home

[Terry Wrist]

Since suggestions are considered arrogance, may I simply float an idea for discussion. And greatly appreciated would be responses from those that have already left QR or are mulling over an escape plan.

If QR cannot find enough staff willing to live in Doha long term, why not offer Commuting Contracts?

The Question: How many pilots would be happy to work for QR long term if they did not have to live in Doha?

Advantages for the airline:
1. Cost savings in forfeited Rental Allowances. Qr 144,000 per annum for every Captain could be better used on commuting tickets and a room for nights in Doha. And still the airline would save money.
2. Increased average length of service.
3. Pressure relief in most aspects of pilot administration. Commuting contracts do not need foreign based administrative services.
4. Pressure relief for the Training Department.
5. Pressure relief for Rostering Department.
6. Business growth target success.

Advantages for the crew:
1. Huge quality of life improvement for the commuting pilot and his family.
2. Civilized rosters for all line pilots once pressure is relieved from the Training and Rostering Departments.

Throwing more money about will calm the mob for a while but it does not solve the root problem. No matter what the salary, staff will suffer an uncomfortable environment only until they reach their personal tolerance limit. Individual limits vary according to cultural background.

Solve the staffing problem by simply removing Doha from the equation?

Many other airlines do it with great success and no loss of face.



Proverb: "If the wife ain't happy.... Ain't nobody happy...."

[GMDS]

Copy paste with EK/Dubai. :ok:

[StandAlone]

Worst than be in Doha, is to be alone in Doha...:eek:
You want to send ours wife back Home for we go just a while see than, and the kids answering the Door, mammy's there's an strange loking for you here. Don't think it works in a long term you will continue look for someplace else to be stable.

What's your plan, 30/15? 45/15?
at least a month alone in Doha and in Hotels somewhere:ugh:

[gnadirs]

Some answers for you....


1)

Basing people in outstation would mean comlying with the local labour laws in that country. Unions, strict FD/DT etc...

2)

Dont forget the famous money carroussel here...60% of the salary you earn you will re-invest in the country,thus creating a fake mini economy but oh so important for little countries. If you decide to base people outside, the money just flows away...No good for all the friends and relatives of the companies management getting rich on our backs

3)

Living abroad = less controll over your employees.


Just a few reasons I can think off why so far QR and EK did not work with basings.

They will avoid it as long as possible but eventually it will happen...at least thats what we like to think...

[Qatari515]

One guy I flew with lately came up with an easy to be implimented plan. allowing for a 6/2 working pattern without changing the current leave day allocations.

Basically you devide the year in 6 periods of 2 months

We have 42 days of leave. 42/6 is 7 days

We can paste 4 days off/month together. Do this once at the end of month 1 and once at the beginning of month 2, and this for 6 periods

This creates a period of 8 days off plus 7 days leave = 15 days

So you create 6 periods of 6 weeks on/2 weeks off

The perfect commuting pattern, as used all over the world, without changing existing rules....

[Terry Wrist]

Basing people in outstation would mean comlying with the local labour laws


This is a Commuting Contract discussion, foreign bases are totally different. Commuting employees are mostly immune from home labour regulations.

However, a commuting employee may, or may not, have to pay tax in his home country. And paying that tax is fair enough since he/she is making use of roads/schools/hospitals etc....

Dont forget the famous money carroussel here...

Point 1: The strategy for building an economy by increasing population and hence consumer spending, only works if the expat employee stays long enough to recover the costs of recruiting and training him/her. At the moment they dont stay very long.

Point 2: Plus the potential cost to a national of the national airline failing to meet it's stated goals, must far outwiegh an expatriot employee's economic contribution of rent and groceries???

[Terry Wrist]

Worst than be in Doha, is to be alone in Doha...:eek:



If for you and your family Doha is tolerable, you have made the right choice to stay. All of us have different limits and lifestyle expectations.

Commuting contracts are not for everyone, but it would suit many perfectly. Vietnam Airlines for example seem to have a much happier stable workforce with higher average return of service.

And who said it has to be compulsary? Dont do anything that you dont want to do. We are free people right?

[a330flyer]

Very good suggestions.
The only but most important point that's missing is the psychological one!
Do you guys really think that a psycho CEO who wants to be asked for marriage approval, who spies on the private life of his employees and who keeps track of absences will ever approve such contracts?:=

And for the rest, I fully agree with gnadirs economical considerations. How do you think these Gulf countries are distributing some of the oil money among their people? Via expat's salaries and their spending (rents) in the country.

So, take it or leave ....the psycho CEO to himself!:mad:

[yoohoo748]

Is life in Doha really that crap? for families? compound living is compound living. No? good beaches and boating and land to explore. Not into the bars.. but good restaurants and home life and some recreation. oh, and what is the skinny on booze in the house. can I bring duty free? or pay a billion for a bottle of bud?

[Terry Wrist]

good beaches and boating


Have done the FULL circumnavigation, a FEW times, have not found a clean beach yet. Some west coast high tide lines are a full foot deep with rubbish.

Have been boating near Doha, the hoards of locals on jet skiis (like The Smokers from Waterworld) ruined the day for the women.


land to explore


Buy a map, this is a very small country and soon you will be dizzy. The Inland Sea is a nice place, but again locals ruin the atmosphere. Rubbish deliberately abandoned, cruisers screaming up and down the beach most nights. But test me. Go to sleep on the beach one night. You will wake up with Land Cruiser tatoos on your forehead. They wont slow down, and they dont give a damn about anyone else.


Is life in Doha really that crap? for families?


I never have and never will allow my children to venture out of the compound without me. Do you?? Hands up any pilot that allows his kids (under 10) to walk down the street alone??? And for the record, life in my compound is as crap as I ever hope to wallow.

Quality of life issues are always subjective and dependant on cultural history. For my family.... after considerable desert experience here; and inspite of the wonderful salary adjustment, I and my family really have had enough of Qatar.

But dont think for a second that after leaving this place the posts will stop.