Easyjet Scrap 6/3 pattern

[orangetree]

Easyjet have just scrapped their 6/3 pattern for cabin crew. The nightmare of incompetent random rostering is upon you. Good luck with your applications elsewhere. Shameful behaviour from a company that consistently bites the hand that feeds :D

[Getoutofmygalley]

There is already an extensive discussion on this in the 'easyJet PpRuNe PRIVATE forum (http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=84)'. All cabin crew who are not a member of this forum join it now by clicking here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/newthread.php?do=form_easyjet)

[ladies and gentlemen]

Could take up to 12 months to come into force. The 6/3 pattern is not enjoyed by all Cabin Crew. I will prefer the random rostering pattern as that is what I have been used to for most of my career. I understand that some people plan ahead if they already know days off for months to come, but it is personal preference. I feel it is a positive move forward for job security. I am sure there will be plenty more changes to come.

[Getoutofmygalley]

Ladies and Gentlemen, have you ever done random rostering within easyJet?

I did it for 6 months when I first joined and it was awful. You would work up to 7 days on, then at times just 1 day off and then back in on a block of 6 days. Duty days were random in that some weeks you would do all lates, other weeks mainly earlies - sometimes even start on lates and end on earlies. It was impossible to plan for things and more often than not you would be on minimum rest between duty periods. I was going home from work absolutely hanging at night.

If the company can not manage 6 and 3, they certainly won't be able to manage random rostering. Crew will run out of hours early in the year and will spend a lot of time on HCT and other crew will end up picking up the slack.

What the company needs to do is invest a bit more time and money in the rostering department, analyse exactly how many crew are needed per group and get the right numbers in the groups. Why on earth are we constantly at LGW (and other bases LPL for instance) having crew who are doing week after week of late duties? The company abuses 6 and 3 by allocating duties in the wrong way, then they say it does not work!

Random rostering will be a complete and utter disaster, but management won't care because we are just a resource to be used up and discarded (like a BCF!).

[orangetree]

then you havn't experienced random rostering 'easyjet style'. Bugger all to do with job security too. Merely an easy fix for an underperforming rostering department..welcome to the wonderful world of single days off and 8 days off a month. Why do you think most pilots would walk if it happened to them?

[ladies and gentlemen]

As I said earlier its personal preference. Some people will be happy with the random rostering and some wont. I have experienced random rostering at various companies and still prefer it. I dont expect Easyjet do it any different to other companies. 7 days on, single days off is normal for companies to roster on a random roster.

[Getoutofmygalley]

And the vast majority of crew joined this company knowing that it had a fixed pattern roster, something which was the envy of a lot of airlines.

I love the fact that I have 3 days off at the end of a block of days on. I have things to do outside of work. There is a saying "Work to live, not live to work" and unfortunately easyJet management think it's "Live to work, not work to live"

If we scrap 6 and 3 then I can see an awful lot of cabin crew resigning, hell working in Tesco would be better - at least I would get cheap shopping! :}

[SallyEZY]

If I read this I'm more than happy to leave this company where care and conenience is only another try to crew the screw over!..:=

Is not only that I'm DTM crew...EasyJet is getting worse and worse..no happy place to stay and work.

[Getoutofmygalley]

Sally, I think there will be a lot of UK crew leaving soon once this takes effect.

"Low Cost with care and convenience" my arse - where is the care of the crew and convenience for the crew?

And where do these changes fit in with our 5 pillars? It's all crap! :*

[G-TTIC]

It's an absolute joke. As GOOMG says, get ready for 7 day weeks, lates to earlies (which many of the 320/1 crew are being subjected to on a regular basis). I can't remember who said it but it's true: flexible means flexible for easyJet, not flexible for you.

Where has my quality of life gone? Down the drain. The way I work is more restricted, I'm not allowed to have as much fun, I'm treated like a child and management seem to do what suits them. You call in sick? Oh no no, you should have waited until the morning too see how you were feeling - don't you know how much sickness costs us? On the other hand, come in to work and get offloaded - well then you should have called in sick?

Go in for a return to work chat and they want to know the intimate details. What exactly was wrong, what did you take for it, perhaps you should take vitamin supplements. It appears our modest ACCMs are moonlighting as doctors.

The problem is that the company thinks they can walk all over us. I appreciate the pinch from the price of oil, but alienate your cabin crew and you're in a tough situation. Expect to see many, many people leaving. Heck, it's just like any other airline now with random rostering, what's keeping people here? Heck, even Ryanair can make fixed 6-3/5-3 (depending on base) work.

Everyone, no matter what your view, needs to make it know to the union. If you're not a member, join - make us stronger as a workforce and show them we will not be trodden on.

[Little Blue]

For what it's worth, the company I work for is bringing in 'variable' roster for all new starts and hoping to phase out 6/3.
Now, I work in crewing/ops and the 'variable' roster makes our jobs a damned sight easier. Not much use you guys hearing that, but, from a management perspective (and I'm not management) I can see why it's being done.
I believe that Easy use the same rostering system that we do. Good luck !

[Roster Change]

Crew are a resource, horrible I know to use that term when a person is on the end of a roster, but 6/3 patterns are very wasteful in terms of daily crew workload. On the positive side if Easyjet will provide some sort of trip, day off request system, then "random rostering" is a step forward. Like most other airlines on this planet use.

[Little Blue]

Trust me, when I'm having to do both Ops and crewing as well as having to organise taxis/hotac flight plans etc etc, whilst only have three of us in the office to deal with 20+ a/c, ANYTHING that makes my job easier is welcome !
Obviously, Easy have seperate Ops/crewing depts so I can't comment on their working practices.
I know our crew have nothing like the roster disruption that you may have, BUT, the main reason for disruption is sickness. Tell you what, cut out the sickness and you halve the disruption. Easy really :ugh:

[one post only!]

Tell you what sort out the rosters to be a bit less tiring and the sickness will reduce!! Everyone is happy! :)

P.S not aimed at you as you don't work at EZY!

[leisurelad]

I know you will probably hate me for this but having worked in crewing/ops before, i doubt any crewing officer works on the basis "oh they've done a hard shift before lets not put them on that trip", if its legal then do it.

When you work in ops/crewing, you have to manage crew levels on a day to day basis and you have to be company minded because if you delay the aircraft because you haven't got the correct cover, it will be crewing that have to answer to the managers and explain why and what alternatives did you seek.

Airlines are business's and will do whatever they have to do to make things work. Crew is not an easylife, i've done it myself and it is hard but when you work low cost, it is prob one of the most physically demanding rosters you will ever have but unfortunately you can't have surplus crew just sitting about.

I think by doing what they are doing or intend to do will soon see the weaker crew leave. if you want plenty of days off and an adequate social life then find an airline that offers that. Easy is low cost meaning low fares and therefore you have to budget with that. Low costs means stretching everything to its maximum as possible to keep your costs low.

[747-436]

I always thought the fixed rostering pattern is what keeps people at Easyjet!

In my previous life (Not Easyjet) I was in Ops Control / Crewing and also did a stint rostering.

Yes drag and dropping does happen but sometimes it is the only way to get the rosters out on time. There isn't time to look at crews as individuals unfortunatly.

Computers do do rosters, but you always need human intervention, there is training to consider, sickness. Even when you have run the roster with the computer someone comes up and says someone has gone long term sick, or needs additional training. So this not only affects the individual roster but often 10 more people as things are moved around to cover the duties. You won't get rid of rostering officers unfortunatly!!

It would have been nice to be able to be bit more personal but this is the real world!

[psychopathbabble]

A LOT of crew will leave if the roster pattern changes. Many many people have said that is why they stay at easyjet, crew and flightdeck.

I have only been at EasyJet for a year but even in just 12 months it has deteriorated completely... I hear 'rumours' about how fun it was just a couple of years ago.

The 6/3 pattern loss will not be a long term fix for easyjets problem. The problem is mis-management of crew and duties. For example, sending gatwick crew to milan, sending stansted crew to gatwick to cover. Point?? They are wasting twice as much money as they would if they just sent stansted straight to Milan. If you look a little closer, there is so much money wasting going on, multiple taxis at the same time to the same place with one person in each taxi, taxi-ing people then cancelling the flight they are suposed to be working... the list is endless!

I understand that crewings job must be difficult sometimes, but these are simple things that could save a fortune!!!

Personally, most of the time I am happy at EasyJet but what with the threat of 6/3 disappearing, temporary staff working my flights (22 sectors in July, what is that all about!!), my unpaid leave request being denied... Yes I am searching elsewhere.

EasyJet will come to regret this very very soon... they could survive this oil price impact if they treated us better and listened to our ideas. After all, who knows what would work better? Those sitting in a room somewhere in Luton, or those that are actually out there working and having to follow these (stupid) rules and regulations?!!

Rant over :-)

[corsaman]

As I understood it from the e-mail, the company is seeking greater flexibility in the small bases, implying the 6-3 pattern could stay in the large bases. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it may just be something we in the regions need to worry about at this stage. A great shame - getting a fixed pattern was THE big achievement at easyJet, when it was introduced, and I would hate to lose it.:(

[G-TTIC]

The way I read the email implied it would be for all crew. Regardless, it's yet another hit to our declining terms and conditions. It's happening slowly, but it's definitely happening. Restricted summer leave, temporary contracts for new entrants, and now this. It's a race to the bottom.

[londonmet]

Even for pilots?

[G-TTIC]

Cabin crew - pilots are on a different pattern and I understand consultations between the company and BALPA are currently taking place.

[girtbar]

Wonder what sacrifices the management are making during this "difficult" time? I mean their terms and conditions won't have deteriorated that's for sure. Still getting their fixed pattern 9-5 shifts, lunch breaks, they have pre arranged their bonuses for this year, holidays without restrictions........

How many mangers doing the same/similar duty? Too many!

Get a few more crewing officers and watch, as its those guys who could make real savings for this company if they where better funded, understood, managed. All this could be achieved from the spare money we would have if we thinned out that self serving money grabbing management lot.

This company is a shadow of its self character wise. It takes very little notice of the lack of moral, direction, quality of employment that is so evident. What a shame. Its hell bent on making things worse.

In short we're over managed, stalling, panicking and making rash decisions like this based on nothing more than a mangers bonus book.

You reap what you sow management.

[MancRy]

ex GB MAN crew were never going to go onto a 6/3 pattern anyway and to be honest, it doesn't bother me one bit. I am ex GB and I never worked seven days in a row and often it was hard to do swaps with people because i needed my two days off in a row. A floating roster isn't that bad at all provided they impliment a request day off/trip bidding system.

[Getoutofmygalley]

MancRy

We do have a request day off system, except it's an absolute nightmare to get your RDO's. You can only book one on a day that is available for booking as annual leave. You have to email a lady in LTN who will then put it on your roster, but that is where the system falls down. If the nice lady in LTN is on leave, off sick or something, then your RDO request will have to wait - meanwhile someone else could book the day off that you need as an annual leave day via AIMS.

And trip bidding, well don't hold your breathe - that would only lead to an improvement in quality of life, which will never happen as the management seem to be hell bent on making our lives as difficult as possible at the moment.

Random rostering in easyJet will be completely cocked up. Crewings favourite response of "It's legal" will be used all the time and crew will run out of hours way before the year is up.

Summer 2006 was a complete and utter nightmare where the management decided to reduce the headcount per aircraft, this lead to thousands (and I do mean thousands) of flights having to be cancelled or sub-chartered. Finnair (I think it was them) spent the whole of the summer at LGW operating the ATH and FAO flights on a 757 which must have cost easyJet an absolute fortune.

The company want to reduce costs and claim that they have a flat management structure - why the hell now do we have ACCM, CCM and RCCM - then LTN H89 management, the previous structure was OPM, BCCM then H89 management. So our flat management structure now has a new level of RCCM - at least 2 or 3 people who are being paid to overlook all the bases, that must be an unnecessary £100k per year being paid out, money that would be better off spent on recruiting around 4 or 5 more crewing officers.

I have absolutely no confidence in the management of easyJet anymore. It is only purely my respect for my flying colleagues and pax that is making me stay here now :sad:.

[sarahc44pink]

GetofMygalley - unfortunatlely I cannot even stay because of my love of flying, colleagues and pax - I am leaving and not because I want too. Ezy have made my personal transition from Gb hardwork and with the one thing I was looking forward too a fixed rosta going, after 8yrs I am hanging up my wings :sad: wonder how many will be doing the same :hmm:

[ReallyAnnoyed]

Not that it is of cardinal importance, but I believe it was Air Finland and not Finnair that did the LGW ATH run in a 757 in the summer of 2006. Somehow, I recall a figure of 8 million pounds in total subcharter costs for that summer, but I am not entirely certain. If I wasn't so lazy, I would look it up :}

[Getoutofmygalley]

You are indeed correct 'ReallyAnnoyed', it was Air Finland (just looked on Airliners.net to confirm).

sarahc44pink I am very sorry to hear you are going to hang up your wings after 8 years. I used to recommend easyJet as an employer to friends, and several people I have recommended have joined the company over the last couple of years. I will never recommend easyJet again, not even to my worst enemy!

I have had lots of messages over the last week or so from people saying they are going to resign NOW or resign one the random rostering comes in. Those muppets in LTN really don't have a clue what they have done and they don't realise that this will destroy the last remaining bit of crew moral.

Still - it will be interesting to see what comes out of easyJet Pulse 2009 (If the company is still here! :})

[G-TTIC]

Would be interesting to see what comes out of Pulse 2008 - company's sitting on the results at the moment.

[G-TTIC]

Just visit a UK base and see what morale is like. Very few people here have any kind words for the company.

[psychopathbabble]

The spanish contracts are different to UK ones so not sure if things will be different for you guys anyway (I know the french contracts treat crew better)...

As said before the 6/3 is NOT the cause of losing cash, but they think they can fob us off with that excuse... they are going to regret this move as so many people are going to leave when it does come up and they are going to be in a worse position.

[Lauderdale]

Life style is essential for good morale - the 6/3 pattern was something that made people stay at EZY rather than looking elsewhere due to having a balanced life style.

I have operated both and I cant believe anyone would prefer an unbalanced roster to a balanced one especially when they start throwing in Day '7' and 'one day off' scenario's.

Lets face it, how many companies outthere can get away without having to pay their staff shift pay (even worse, you work irregular shifts), double time for weekends or bank holidays. Then are able to save a large chunk of pay (called flight pay!) when their staff are off sick, on leave or on maternaty etc.

No requirement for lunch breaks, how many of you eat right next to a toilet every day? That 'land side' would be illegal. The list could go on and on.

All it will achieve is that motivated staff will walk (most of the GB lot are on hold with BA). There are other ways to save money, best way is to start at the top lead by example and then work your way down.

:E

[Getoutofmygalley]

Justnightstopping, MAD base is still fairly small compared to the UK bases. You do have good managers there (I personally think that 'CG' is a lovely lady and I always enjoyed chatting with her when she was based at LGW).

You might be working an average of just 8.5 days per month - myself, I am working on average 20 days per month. Most working weeks I average about 57 duty hours and am absolutely shattered. I sleep through most of rest day 1, sleep well into rest day 2 and then only feel human again on rest day 3.

Yet again this month, rostering took my 900 hours total to 880 hours. Crewing have since added more duties to my roster taking me to almost 890 hours. I still have SBY duties on my roster for this month, even with a total block hours in excess of 100!

The company makes out that safety is our number one priority - except it isn't. Getting a bum on a crew seat is all they care about. You will hear the response "It's legal!" more and more over the next few months when crewing call out crew to fly when they are fit to drop.

Some bases are well run, others are not. Some bases only care about anciliary revenue and the SPH - others realise there is more to the job than selling. The only time you ever seem to hear from the ACCM's at LGW is when they are once again posturising over how wonderful a base LGW is and that we must do better with our sales, or threatening crew with performance related issues. We have a monthly base newsletter at LGW, it might as well be called the "LGW Sales Newsletter" for the content contained in it. It never fills you in on what management are doing to resolve local issues (Catering, cleaning, care-bears) which are things crew would like to know about. Management seem to poo-poo you with excuses when you have problems (I have first hand experience of an extremely ineffective LGW manager who loves to talk the talk yet never walks the walk).

So what with:

7 days on, 1 day off going to be a regular occurence
Management only caring about sell SELL SELL SELL.
Crew going from the A319 fleet to the A320/21 subfleet and being shafted financially
Restrictions on how many days annual leave you can have in the summer period
It really is no wonder people are pi$$ed off.

I salute your local management in MAD, perhaps they should teach the rest of the network and H89 how to really run the company.

Incidentally, you don't need an MBA to run a company. I personally think there are far too many graduates in positions of power who don't have a clue how to actually do things in the real world. What is needed is people from the bottom to be promoted up into positions of responsibility, where they can inform senior management of how things should be handled in the real world - but that would be far too sensible a decision......

[G-TTIC]

Management seem to poo-poo you with excuses when you have problems (I have first hand experience of an extremely ineffective LGW manager who loves to talk the talk yet never walks the walk).

Without naming names, would these be existing easy ACCMs or one of the two ex-GB ACCMs who magically skipped the ranks from main crew/assistant purser to ACCM?

[Getoutofmygalley]

I will pm you, depending on the answer given it narrows it down just a little too much.

And unlike management, I am fair in my treatment of people.

[Getoutofmygalley]

Hello again justnightstopping

We are still awaiting information from the union to be cascaded down to members. This is something that union members may not be aware of, but easyJet DO NOT ALLOW the union reps to use the easyJet email system for union business.

All union members should ensure that they keep the union fully informed with their personal contact details so that their reps can get things sent out to them in a timely manner.

One of the LGW reps did try to send an email out to members last week (using the personal email addresses he has collected) but unfortunately a large percentage of addresses came back as "undeliverable".

MAD is the first base in Spain and is technically run as a seperate airline to the UK owing to the fact it is on a local contract. You are probably being "managed" now in a way that the company used to manage crew in the UK about 5 or 6 years ago. Hopefully your management team will continue to treat you with respect.

One thing we must all do though is STICK TOGETHER on this. Together we are strong and have a voice that will be heard, if we don't stick together or petty arguements break out, then the management will have one using the old "Divide and conquer" technique.

Happy flying folks and remember sell that extra cup of coffee! :}

[Dolley]

I only just caught up with this threat and unfortunately I have to second Getoutofmygalley in pretty much everything she/he stated. And I'm not based in London.

Somebody who you wouldn't expect it off was just stood down from a duty as fatigued last week at our base. After a week/month from hell, reporting for an Airport SBY, finding changes for another 4 sectors duty, the crew member couldn't face it anymore and dissolved into tears (something else you wouldn't expect of that poor person). The ACCM sent her home (which is at least something.). But I ask myself how it can get to that point? If that is legal then this should be looked into....it shouldn't be legal that people work themselves to/over their limits like that!!!

Safety?! I bet despite anything that crew member might say that she hadn't been safe to operate for days already. Probably without realizing herself. I wonder how the CAA (and easyjet) expects us to be safe after a 12 hour duty in the best of circumstances....not considering the building-up-effect of many of those duties in a row...

As for the 6/3 roster....if the Union won't do anything about it, I will. As Getoutofmygalley said, I will be one of many to leave.

But see, I believe that's exactly what the company wants. It's called constructive dismissal.

Get rid of all the old crew who are on decent contracts, and get more fixed term contracters in who won't dare to be off sick because they are worried that they are not taken on. They earn less money for the same job, get only very little leave and that little will be allocated whenever it suits the company not them. They are less likely to join the union as they are only on a fixed term contract. Basically, easyjet is turning into a second Ryanair.

I'm not surprised that we still haven't got any Pulse results although the company already got them. I bet they are horrendous results although I find it already speaks for itself to see the respond rates at the different bases. You can see there which bases are still motivated, and which are only putting their head down and come to work.

It's such a shame, and it makes me so sad and angry because it used to be a good place to work for....and it used to be fun. Now it's only a job, and not even a good one.

[G-TTIC]

Dolley, you're quite right.

It seems easyJet's crew "vision" is:

1) School leavers are given 6 month contracts.
2) Some get kept on for winter. Others skip to stage 5.
3) Next summer, make them SCCMs.
4) Stay for a year.
5) Leave.

Permanent contract as it was (before the fixed term contracts came in) = bad. I'll bet you a four sector day that the company will introduce new contracts for those on FTCs who get kept on. Or indeed try to switch us all onto a new contract.

The other scenario is that they keep people on for the winter on another FTC.

Far enough down the line, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ryanair style agency contracts. No basic salary to pay, just hourly pay, fear of going sick as it may lower their chances of getting an "easyJet" contract. Pay for training, uniform, ID, car parking, no crew food.

I shouldn't really be giving them ideas.

[sarahc44pink]

Dolley I think you've hit the nail on the head there - the company want rid of 200+ crew, so make working conditions impossible for some and you loose the crew without having to pay redundancy etc. Very clever and very wrong :=

[Lauderdale]

I believe a large number of the old school EZY crew are very high standard professionals who joined with a passion, worked their backsides off as a team, and are now getting more and more dis-illusioned by the day....

It will go quite some way to explain the mass exodus of ex GB crew (who were all shafted by the Gibraltarian Royal Family).....as much as the ex GB crew got bad press they experienced over-night what a large number of the older EZY CC are going through over a longer period of time.

Aviation as a whole has a lot to answer for in regards to double standards and unfortunately as always we know what needs to happen before anything will ever change.......

[Getoutofmygalley]

Hello again everyone

I hope you have all had a good day flying, remember to sell, sell, sell. Also, please remember the fantastic new items that can be found inside the July/August edition of the easyShop Brochure. What with the school holidays being just a couple of weeks away this is a fantastic time for us to increase SPH and earn lot's of commision for ourselves......

ARRGGGHHHH!

Sorry about that, I was just briefly converted to the orange side. Now back in the real world ;)

TM if you are reading this, get your arse on an aircraft, operate as a standard crew member (Number 2, 3 or 4 - most certainly not number 1 and you can not cop out by being a SNY) for a month on minimum rest doing 6x4 sectors in a week and see how much you like it. Then send out an grovelling email to crew beging for our forgiveness.

And TM if you end up on my aircraft at some point, don't be surprised if we encounter some turbulence during the service when I am near you. You can expect to wear the contents of the ice bucket and gash bag!

I spoke to a union rep at LGW today regarding the 6 and 3 pattern. She assures me that the company can not just go ahead and implement this without crew consultation. It appears that TM might have overstepped the mark with her email and managed to piss off half the flying community.

So, can everyone here please make a point of mentioning to their colleagues that this is not a cut and dry deal. The company can not put a significant change through like this without our 'approval'. Please encourage your colleagues to join the union. If you don't like the idea of paying the union your subs month in month out, you should at least join until this is sorted. The more members we have, the more chance we have of stopping this happening.

Also, remember we all love to bitch and moan, but you have to bitch and moan at the right people. Bitch to your union reps, let them have your feedback so that they can put together a good case for fighting this.

If we work together we can get this changed, if we just bitch to ourselves, nothing will change for the better!

(Incidently, my opening on here was a typical sort of LGW ACCM type email - the other types would be moaning and threatening 'performance issues......')

[G-TTIC]

Oh, and don't forget the great prizes up for grabs in our fabulous YSL incentive. Win it and you're guaranteed to be loved and adored by all of us.

Regards,

G-TTIC
Assistant Cabin Crew Manager
London Gatwick

Follow our lead

PS - We don't really care that the most asked for YSL product is never stocked - as long as you sell lots of other stuff.

[orangetree]

If you want get any headway on the random rostering thing you would need Unite to get very smart and very quickly. I wish you all the very best of luck but one of the big problems is that I think the 6/3 pattern is not an agreement, merely a 'protocol' hence can be ripped up at their behest. The Easyjet definition of 'protocol' would be something like: 'document suggesting empowerment but effectively meaning nothing and able to be scrapped when it suits by he/she who must be obeyed'. I believe TM is only the scapegoat here. Have a look behind her at the Firstchav massive. Quite a little love-in going on there.

[Virginia]

I feel for you. I'm Ex easyJet crew. I hated it when I was there and was constantly exhausted and would cry from tiredness at the end of my 6th in a row, 4 sector, 12 hour days. :bored: :uhoh:

At my base the managers were so uncaring, out of 9 of them, only 1 was friendly and actually seemed to give a damn about her group. I was sick of being forced to sell sell sell, cleaning up after chavs on every sector and counting the bars and money in a rush as the long promised computers never materialised! There was one Manager in particular at the largest base (I think) let's just call her B. She made several crew cry and she was always very cold and had a sour look on her face!

Well the grass is greener on the other side. Ok no airline is perfect but...there are a lot of airlines which treat their crew better. I have friends at easyJet who have moved onto other airlines and are much happier.

Most of the crew I worked with were lovely and a real credit to the airline. It's a shame that easyJet take you for granted. I thought things were improving with the crew designed uniform. Obviously not. The airline is going to to cutting off their nose to spite their face when all their great crew leave and they are stuck with a bunch of temps who have just left school. :yuk:

[G-TTIC]

If B is who I think she is, she's not a manager anymore, rather one of these new fangled "line trainers".

[Virginia]

I think I would cry if I had B as my trainer :uhoh:

She was on my flight once doing a check flight on a new joiner-she was terrifying. She's awful to pax as well. Really abrupt and stern. Remind me how she got to be so senior again?

[G-TTIC]

Goodness only knows, but ex-OPMs BE, LS, AB, SG are now line trainers. CF, LH and RB are now "Assistant Cabin Crew Managers" reporting to a new Cabin Crew Manager who in turn reports to the elusive MB who is now "Regional Cabin Crew Manager".

[girtbar]

I've noticed in that wonderful piece of motivational drool that comes from Lee every so often that poor old DTM is included and expected to sell sell sell for the YSL incentive. If I was in the DTM crew room and i read that i think i would have thrown the computer so far off the wall as to hit bloody Lee in the head!

His throw a piece of shortbread, nuts, muffin down with a drink whether or not the pax asks for it or not and charge them for it just shows how management get selected!

Its just the same up north that some of the rudest crew i have ever encountered have ended up looking after us. I do of course use that term very loosely!

[enay73]

I used to work for easyjet and I must admit that all of this moaning about the company should stop here to be honest. I am now working for another company which our roster is totally different now. I do get my roster on the 23rd of the month and I do not know what I am doing for the next month till the day will come out. People do have the opportunity to get a chance to bid are quite lucky and believe me at the end of the day every airline in this world do whatever they like.
I don't think that easyjet is a very bad place to work for and I have to admit that at least you still have positive things.
I know that you are doing even 4 secs everyday but at least is a very friendly place to work for.
I shouldn't complain so much because there other people out there with more strict rules and bad condition than you.
This is not a reply to wind anyone up, it's just my common sense to say that you are still treated very well and I am sure easyjet wont do anything wrong and go against to anyone and make feel people unhappy.

Enay

[G-TTIC]

It's not a race to the bottom here, surely we have the right to maintain our working conditions?

I am sure easyjet wont do anything wrong and go against to anyone and make feel people unhappy.

Must have been a long time since you left.

[Lauderdale]

It's so typical that there are always people (and quite a few of them!) who benchmark themselves against the lowest standard outthere. Rather than aspiring to much better T&C's that ultimately will benefit companies in the long run.

It just feeds that awful managerial monster called "..dont like it, leave..."

Aspire to work like other Nothern European carriers, that way your job will be more respected and ultimately will give you the credit(s) you deserve....

[Norman Stanley Fletcher]

At the risk of interrupting a full rant against easyJet, may I take you back to the subject of the thread. My question is this - are you all going to sit back and let this happen or are you actually going to fight for fixed pattern rostering? I do not wish to be rude, but ultimately if you do nothing then everything will happen to you - it is that simple. The bottom line is that your future is in your own hands. Fight this and you will win - do nothing and you will just be left whining on forums like this about how bad the line trainers are. The choice is yours and the clock is ticking.

[airshowpilot]

I agree with NSF. Now's the time to unite and be strong, act now and you will win this fight. Are you all union members? If not, ask yourself why not! :ok:

[G-TTIC]

With any luck the majority of us CC posting here are Union members, the real problem lies with those not so motivated to make their voices heard, particularly those on fixed term contracts. While these people are eligible for reduced fees, it's a real challenge convincing them to sign up.

Various reasons
- Might not be here in a few months so why bother?
- Might affect the decision to keep them on (that's the perception).
- Don't want to pay the £6 monthly fee since they're paying for everything else. (For info, those on FTCs have to pay for uniform, hotel on training, ID referencing, all within the space of three months).

[diesel36]

Please dont think that all of us that are on fixed term are all school leavers and havent got a clue what were doing.

Think again a lot of us have been flying for a few years now, and have asked for our union membership to come across to easy.

One of the reasons which attracted me to easy was the 6/3 pattern so if it goes to a ballot then i shall be voting for it to stay.

That is one problem that im starting to notice, when were mentioned its

"oh those fixed term ", were crew doing the same job as you, please remember that...

[G-TTIC]

I do apologise and by no means wish to tar everybody with the same brush, but the majority of crew I've flown with who have been recruited on a fixed term basis have been of the younger variety and often quite reluctant to join the union.

[Dolley]

I have been speaking to our Union rep this morning and he said to email him. The more emails he gets with an opinion on the proposed roster changes the more he can do.
So go out and spread the word....and email your reps!

[diesel36]

G-TTIC apology accepted just getting boring now with all this oh your fixed contract.. its new to easy but not to the world of aviation.. not pointing the finger at you...:eek:

We all started at some point some of us to far to remember,

I do agree a lot of them are very young, but i do know some young ones that are good, a couple of my friends are at lgw... must catch up on the gossip with them..lol

I hope i get kept on as 99% of the time its a pleasure to go to work..

Lets just make sure we keep the 6-3 pattern...

[girtbar]

Dolley good for you!!

How many people on this and the easyjet forum have actually taken the initiative to email the reps in their bases to let their feelings known?

How many crew sit and moan about things in the back galley but actually do nothing to help themselves or get their voice/opinion heard?

How many crew moan about a change that is made but never bring it to their base manager, then wonder why the base managers think that the changes have been taken well because no ones complained?

We have for far too long sat on our hairy (well mine needs a trim) asses and watched our T&C's get eroded. We've jumped up and down in the back galley but we have failed to moan constructively in the right channels then try to blame everyone but ourselves when the result we want is lost.

Join the Union, email your reps and base management at your disgust at this proposed plan. Tell them where the problems lay ie get the whole rostering/crewing dept a kick in the goolies and get them funded better!!

Perhaps then TM might think twice about steam rolling over the cabin crew at every opportunity and me might get this fantastic little airline back to the good old days of happy contented crew!!

[orange1]

I'm in the union and have not had an email from them. I will be emailing my rep when I return from leave. Sorry to change the subject but why have the Pulse results not been made available to us is it because they were so bad they are doing damage control and trying to fudge the results?

[londoneasyjetboi]

Dearest Union reps

In response to TM's recent email regarding moving to flexible roster pattern, I would like to inform you, the Union and ultimately the Company of my TOTAL AND UTTER DISGUST at what is being suggested by those in LaLa Land. I am in agreement with the Company that things have to be done to combat the problems caused by fuel prices but where I end that agreement is when all the cost cutting measures have to be born through Cabin Crew, Flight Deck and Passengers.

A short list to prove this follows. These are all cost cutting plans that have been or are going to be introduced:
- Single Engine Taxi in (more work for FD)
- Single Engine Taxi Out (LGW STN Trial) (More work for FD)
- Use of Ground Power where possible (More work for FD, puts CC and pax in an uncomfortable working environment in 30°C+ Cabins)
- Use of only 1 a/c Pack on Ground (see previous point)
- Reduction of dry stores onboard (CC cannot offer pax what they want all the time)
- Flying slower (more work for CC, FD and worse for pax as there is less buffer in schedules for delays)
- Baggage charges
- Speedy Boarding
- Excess baggage charges (last three points are moving towards a 'nickle-and-dime' mentality instead of just raising fares, which people will ultimately pay if all airlines charge passengers what it costs to fly them, rather than them feeling that they are getting charged for everything, which makes the company look bad in the eyes of Passengers)
- Moving CC to 'Flexible' (read Random) rostering.

The final point is where I take most offense. TM's email stated that 6/3 rostering in smaller bases is inefficient, this point I can accept, and things should be changed at the those smaller bases, DTM especially to try and save their jobs, and make them take random rostering or risk having their bases closed. Another reason she stated was that on some days there is a surplus crew and on others there is a shortfall in crew. I would like the Company to state why this is MY problem that there are not enough crew on each day, which brings me to another point as to why this excuse is not a good one. EasyJet has the same amount of aircraft flying each day so each day there should be the same amount of people available to work. It is not as though on one day there are all aircrafts flying and then the next there are 20 aircrafts less causing a surplus amount of crew. Furthermore, if it is the case that there is not enough crew in one group, then move crew to another group. We get to keep out fixed pattern and the Company has the right crew in the right group. It is not as though they don't do it anyway. I have changed groups 3 times during my time at easyJet, after my probation, when I got promoted to SCCM and when I transferred to ***. All of these I did not have a choice. I didn't mind so much changing groups. I still had the fixed Roster. This is one big reason why people choose to work for easyJet. From a lifestyle point of view, its the only good thing, because during the 6 days on, I am worked to the bone, but at least I always have 3 days off, and I know exactly when those days off are going to be. If Tina Milton and her cronies are trying to deliberately p**s people off, then they have succeeded.


She also stated that moving to flexible rostering 'gives Rostering a better opportunity to balance duty hours and associated workload in order to better manage high hours and the losses in sector pay and commission that can result'. Rostering IS the main problem as to why crew are getting HCT's, being moved to other bases to operate and having some crew working 100 block hours a month and others only working 30. To move the blame for this level of incompetence to CC is totally unacceptable. I have personally seen and operated with crew from another base when I know that someone of similar group and rank has been sent to the other base to work. Why couldn't the said 2 crew members remain in their respective bases and remove the costs of hotel and positioning and as TM put it, 'Alleviate the disruption of taking people away from their home base to operate'. A big reason for this is that within this organisation, many times the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.

Moving back to my initial point of all cost cutting measures are coming from everywhere except Hanger 89 and easyLand. The only thing that I have seen the 'Powers that Be' (ie Management) to help reduce costs this year is to have their pay frozen. The only problem with this is that is only Upper Management and they all got offered share options first to cover the money they would have lost otherwise. I would place money on the bet that Our Fearless Leader Andy Harrison will jump ship as soon as the share price starts moving North again. Now I don't think that is an acceptable form of Management that works well with the 5 Pillars or whatever this months brainwashing feature is.

Who thinks of these ideas? I mean 5 Pillars and 'Low Cost With Care and Convenience'. I will tell you who, one of the 533 people in easyJet who are in a Management Position. That works out to be nearly 1 Manager for 7 Cabin Crew. How is this cost effective? Some of them I understand. Like we need 8 Senior Crewing Officers, 25 Operations Officers and 17 Crewing Officers. But is there any need for a Technical Library Supervisor or a Crew Planning Analyst? Surely the Crew Planning Manager should be able to analyse his or own Plans and does not someone else to do it at a cost of probably GBP30000 per year? Or the Regional Cabin Crew Managers? Why?? The now Cabin Crew Managers are doing exactly the same roles as they were when they where Base Cabin Crew Managers, there is just an extra step in there in the Chain of Command before it reaches TM? Maybe that is why? She is trying introduce more and more management to move her further and further away from the people who she is in charge of? The biggest number of employees in easyJet, the Cabin Crew.

I believe that all those who are employed in a management position on the list that is available on inside easyjet entitled 'Management Structure' should have to write a formal letter proving why they are an asset to easyJet rather than just another level of Management. On the easyJet website under Company Overview, they state the following:

'easyJet favours an informal company culture with a very flat management structure, which eliminates unnecessary and wasteful layers of management. All office-based employees are encouraged to dress casually. Ties are banned - except for pilots! Remote working and 'hot-desking' have been characteristics of easyJet since the beginning.'

EasyJet's management structure is now anything but flat. If even only 10 managers were removed from their positions or their positions were no longer viable, the company could save nearly half a million Pounds a year. I am all for cost cutting and trying to increase profits, but where the cuts are coming from are not balanced. Cabin Crew, Flight Deck and Passengers are the ones that losing the most or on the flip side, putting the most into the company to achieve their goals. If ever some of the Managers left their Ivory Towers in LTN, and came down and saw what we had to deal with and the way we have already cut nearly as much as possible, they might see the light and realise that just because they are managers they are safe. There is no need for managers when there is no one to manage. If the Company is trying to get people to leave easyJet then they are going the right way about it. The last 2 years or so have seen this Company nose dive. I thought the summer of 2005 was bad... that was paradise compared to what it is like working here now.

Although there are many more points raised in here than the just the removal of 6/3, and most are outside the control of the Union, the 6/3 pattern is very important to alot of people and we need to fight to keep it, if some people do not want the 6/3 anymore, then they should be able to choose to go off it, the Company would like that. But we should ALL fight to keep it. It is high time that those in LaLa Land take responsibility for the problems they have either caused or chose to ignore which have now compounded into bigger issues.

I know this is long, but I hope it does not fall on deaf ears and some, if not all of it is shown to the company in our fight/negotiation. I am passionate about my job, but I am also passionate about my life.


This was sent to the The Union, I was tempted to send it too AH and TM as well, but thought I better wait

Good luck everyone!

[Paula]

Hi,

Im based in Berlin and our union reps are working very hard on getting as many signatures as possible from the crew. I hope the reps in other bases are doing the same. We need 1700 names to have a chance to do anything against it. SIGN SIGN SIGN!!! And if theres nothing to sign, talk to your union reps. They should really work hard on this.

[SuperStewardess]

Absolutely 'Spot-On' LondonEasyJetBoi and very well put indeed... I'm sure you echo almost everyones thoughts... Thanks for this post and I really, really hope that the people who need to see it, do. :ok:

[one post only!]

londoneasyjetboi, very well written email. Have you posted it on the easyjet private forum? If not join and post it please. Managment do read that forum (PJS) and it might work its way to people who should really read it!!

londoneasyjetboi for CEO......

[easygalleyfm]

Well said londoneasyjetboi.
talking about unnecessary management, if the fuel hedge manager did his job properly like in many other airlines, we would not be in as bad situation as we are now...
Easy can save a lot of by getting rid of the middle managers (they can start with the fuel hedging guy), freezing/reducing the management bonuses and employing few more rostering officers.
At the end of the day, there are a lot of things that easy wants to change even before the fuel crisis and now they are using the fuel thing as an excuse.

[girtbar]

Well i am sorry but i don't agree with whats been said by londoneasyjetboi. I work in a "small" base. Why the hell should i have to work a random roster because the company fail to be able to implement it properly?

I specifically disagree with " .....and make them take random rostering...."


Oh so its alright that you don't want to do something but force it on someone else, thank you very much. Glad to know my fellow crew are standing by united. Nice to know you'll be left out to dry.

Your as bad as the management!

[Mitzi]

Right behind you londoneasyjetboi!!!

Here, here. Your post is very well stated. I agree with most of what you say, however.....

As we know, it is already too late for our colleagues in DTM. We all need to stick together now (FD and CC) to stop the further erosion of our terms and conditions. The CC at easyJet work harder than any other I have ever encountered! If there is any inefficiency it starts and ends in Luton. The smaller bases are not 'unviable' due to being small, it is purely bad management.

If you at the bigger bases accept random rostering at the small bases assuming yourselves to be immune, you will be sorely mistaken. Do not sell your colleagues down the river. Thin end, big orange wedge.....

[boredcounter]

Just anywhere in your contracts does it stipulte anything like 'or operate any hours as defined within the company FTLS' ?

[londoneasyjetboi]

Girtbar says:
'Well i am sorry but i don't agree with whats been said by londoneasyjetboi. I work in a "small" base. Why the hell should i have to work a random roster because the company fail to be able to implement it properly?

I specifically disagree with " .....and make them take random rostering...."


Oh so its alright that you don't want to do something but force it on someone else, thank you very much. Glad to know my fellow crew are standing by united. Nice to know you'll be left out to dry.

Your as bad as the management!'

Girtbar,

I apologise about the way that was written, now that you show it on here, it seems totally like it some people should have random rostering and others not. This is not how I meant for that to sound. I meant for it to come across as though if the company cannot make 6/3 work in smaller bases, then as a tool to keep the base open and you employed, maybe random rostering should be implemented, I have been in contact with some crew in DTM and they would be more than happy to take on random rostering if it meant they kept their jobs and their base open...

Although alot of the stuff the company spits outs is just Propaganda, from someone who has experience in scheduling people lives, the numbers just dont work.

However, still on the flipside of that statement, CC have been working 6/3 for many many years now and therefore some kind of Grandfather agreement should be taken into consideration and keep our lives the same as what we have been accustomed to.

Again, I am sorry for my poorly written statement.

[londoneasyjetboi]

In answer to your question, my contract states the following:

Your working hours will depend upon the relevant rostering agreements, which may be altered at anytime. EJ will do its best to ensure that all CC of a similar grade will be rostered for as near as possible the same opportunity over a 3 month period to work the same number and the same type of sectors. We will comply withg all applicable CAA regulations relating to hours worked and time off

Why do you want to know that?? Although the contract says they can be altered at any time it is evectively a change of contract and that needs to be agreed through the correct channels IMHO with my basic understanding of UK and EU employment laws

[Dolley]

And this is where the problem is....the company has the right to change our roster pattern with only as little as 90 days notice to us.
Which is why we have to be a really strong voice, and be united!
Join the union! (easyjet has done Unite a huge favour, I know of 30 people who joined within the last couple of days -that includes quite a few FTC btw!!!) Tell your friends and co-workers to join. Tell the FTC to join as well....at the end of the day, they've got nothing to loose....if they won't have a job at the end of their contract they stop being in the Union, if they do have a job they want decent T&C as well....
Don't just moan - but send an email to your rep! Tell your office as well (they won't care but at least you've given feedback....it's their problem what they make of it.).
Think about the future! If you allow them to start random rostering at the smaller bases, it'll only be a matter of time when they start it in the bigger bases!
Be serious about it and think about the consequences...this might well mean strike action if it comes to that. Think about it: Are you really prepared to go this far? If not, you might as well start random rostering now!
Be aware of politics! I sometimes wonder how much they try to manipulate us to get what they want of us....for example....when they said we can only book 9 days of leave between May and October....huge out-cry, big mess up....company lets us sit with the threat for a while and then says: 'Oops, we didn't mean to upset you, so we are really nice to you now and instead do only 6 days between July and September' and almost everybody is relieved and accepts it without a big moan. My theory is that they wanted to do 6 days between July and September anyway but thought they push it further, firstly, because you never know, you might get away with it and secondly, you'll get away with what you really want and won't get any complaints as the first 'threat' is so much worth.
So I'm almost wondering when the next email comes along and what it will say...
As for the Pulse results....we will get them at a political and strategical convenient moment, in which the company can use them for their goals (which mainly seems to be trying to scare us, so that we won't moan too much, and most importantly, won't ask for more money in October).

[girtbar]

Don't worry londoneasyjetboi I know what its like when your all consumed with anger and your trying to get your point across!

I do hope there is a decent snack pack in this lifeboat if the small bases sink!

[brett374]

Who thinks it will be a good idea to start up a petiton, I know lots of ppl at LGW who would sign it.

Your right we need to stick together

[psychopathbabble]

someone at stn (dunno who) has printed off loads of petition pages and left them around the crew room for people to sign.. the response from the office is:

it's not official, a crew member has done it off their own back and it probably won't be handed in anyway so no point in signing it'.

I signed it anyway as every little helps!

Regarding T&C, union rep at stn said we all have to sign a new contract if random rostering comes in, as it is a change.

[TightSlot]

Are you all aware that the simplest way to start a petition is online (http://www.petitiononline.com/)? (The link is to one of several such sites)

[fire rainbow]

Hi guys,
I just want to let you know that a useless Union Rep at Lgw said the other day that as far as he is concern nearly everyone at Lgw is happy about the implementation of random rostering as they have only received 25 e-mails back desagreing to this matter.
I think this is disgusting (not even all the union members got this e-mail) and the unions are accepting a substantial change of contract without balloting it (the normal procedure to follow).
We need to start doing something before they say yes without sending us a ballot for our consent. A ballot needs to be sent to us!!!
God knows what they are getting from Easyjet to do this behind our backs.... but it must be a very good deal!
:D

[Lauderdale]

And now that your sector pay will be cut and taxed at a higher level there is even more reason to be happy at EZY...........

Sarcasm is an ugly thing............

[Getoutofmygalley]

Lauderdale, don't let the truth get in the way of a good piece of scaremongering!

If you are going to refer to things on emails at least refer correctly. The email from TM did not say that sector pay would be cut, it said that the sector pay will instead become taxed at the request of Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs. The amount of money paid to the individual will be the same, but you will instead pay more tax - UNLESS the lobby group of easyJet, BALPA & Unite have any success.

And with regards to the "useless Union Rep at LGW", if you are not happy with that rep, speak to the others! I know that one of the others has had in excess of 30 emails (as around a week and a bit ago) to himself individually. Also, that other rep has set up a group on facebook so that crew can air there comments (It's a private group that only himself and 2 other moderators can invite people to join) so he has a number of comments from that group which express great feeling over the 6 and 3 pattern.

If you are not happy with your union representation at LGW (or a specific individual) you have the right to contact the Union at a more senior level (i.e. not the 737 branch that we are members of (ex-GB crew are different to that)) and submit a complaint.

I emailed 2 of the reps recently (the 2 that share the same email address!) regarding 6 and 3 (something I am passionate about on here, in the easyJet forum and in the crew room), I saw one of them in the crew room the following week and asked if they had received my email, she replied with "I don't think so, but we do have a lot of mail to work through" - so when I got home I immediately forwarded the message onto another rep so that I knew for sure that the message had been received by the union. Saw that rep in the crewroom a couple of days later and was told that it had been received.

Might be worth sending all emails in future to the 4 union reps that we have at LGW to guarantee receipt by at least one of them!


And playing devils advocate here, don't forget that us cabin crew love whingeing and complaining, but how often does a cabin crew member actually put pen to paper (or hand to keyboard) and actually complain to the right people? I have spoken at great length to crew regarding 6 and 3, explaining the pitfalls so that they know just how $hit it will be if it comes in, then I have asked them "Have you complained to the union?" the response has been either "I am not in the union, I don't want to waste a tenner a month on that" or "Nah, ain't got time to mail em, someone else can" :rolleyes:

[emengen3]

easyjetforum has opened
Easyjet Discussion Forum (http://www.easyjetforum.com)
i thing you might share your idea andd problems there