PARC & IAC breach contracts

[misstrolleydolly]

Be Warned: PARC & IAC are breaching certain clauses of contracts for pilots on assignment with a Japanese carrier.

[Fratemate]

Well, that's a good first line but how about giving some actual details, rather than making a statement with no evidence to support your claim. I would be only too happy to check my contract and see if what you're claiming is correct, assuming you're talking about my carrier.

[misstrolleydolly]

Parc and IAC have broken contracts with SKymark airlines.
Contracts states transport will be provided from home base to airport, all crew over 60 (all Japanese Captains) will still receive transport, all crew under 60 (all expats) now have to get own transport to wrk dispite contract. Both contract company have done nothing except a few meetings and the attached letter, can get hold of Parc letter if required.

Dear Captain,

As April 1st is quickly approaching, we would like to ensure that the understanding of the removal of taxi service between the hours of 0630 and 2300 is clear amongst all our flight crew
We have recently been advised by Skymark that they will review any Captain’s service to SKY who behaves unprofessionally in protest to this issue. In addition, they would also like to point out that when Captains are not able to work due to their physical condition, they are required to submit a doctor’s certificate.
Currently there are many Japanese Captains and ex-JALways Captains available to Skymark and will soon have more than enough numbers to sufficiently crew their aircraft, therefore they shall hold no hesitation to review a Captain’s assignment if necessary.
For those Captains who behave professionally during this transition to the new transport procedures, Skymark will reconsider terms and conditions – such as longer term contracts or increase in remuneration.
We would also like to once again clarify the contract clause relating to this for many ofyou: “The Airline shall provide transport between the above accommodation and at all layover stations from and to the airports for all duties for the duration of the agreement whether operating, positioning, dead-heading, training or for administrative and management duties in accordance with the Airline’s company regulation for equivalent personnel.”
Please note that the company (Skymark) can set their company regulation however they see fit and the transportation shall be provided in accordance with this regulation. If this regulation only stipulates that taxi’s shall be provided between 2300 and 0630 and public transport between 0630 and 2300, then you would be required to abide by this regulation.We understand that the removal of taxi’s between these hours have affected you all, however we ask on behalf of Skymark for your co-operation.

Best Regards

Jim Morris
CEO
IAC Pacific Limited

[mohikan]

Good to see Morris hasn't changed.

Avoid IAC like the plague.....

[bf109]

I can see that this Morris character is quite an ...hole but Parc has also issued a somewhat similar letter stipulating they won't respect the contract agreement and even issuing threats of dismissal.
Agencies can't be trusted

[Beeroclock]

When flights stop leaving due to the crew still being at home they will soon change there ways..:rolleyes:

[FBW390]

Normally Parc was one of the only reliable contractor.

One to avoid: Rishworth! They breach the contract and have no word. Collegues with them for Korean didn`t like them at all...

Other comments about contractors?

[expatpilot4life]

Guys, i just started a contract with Parc for another carrier in Japan. Can someone please post the letter or details of here. That guy from Iasco sounds like a damn dictator, basically it seems they dont want to pay for the taxis when public transport is available but the way he has with words is very offensive. Would be interesting if all the pilots that are on an IAC contract told him "go ahead and fire me" as IAC like any other crew leasing company only makes money if the crews are working. I dealt with these guys years ago when they wanted to send me to Fiji for a contract on the B737, they were bad back then too.

[Geebz]

Bottom-line is, you guys will have to suck it up at the moment. The letter clearly shows they will be watching everyone. Though the threat of additional available captains is an idle one since it take 7-9 months to get one trained in Japan (maybe less with JCAB-approved Capt's but still takes time nonetheless). This is not the time to be challenging your companies, in light of the present furlough environment worldwide, though I will submit that a first contract violation usually leads to more down the road. Next qtr they may try cutting something else. When times get better, vote with your feet. Until then, lay low and realize this is not the best time to be a contract/ expat pilot; but this too shall pass... it always does.

Now... with all that said. Some genius at the airline thinks this will save them a few bucks. What they fail to realize is that they are antagonizing with the very asset managers of the airline who save the company millions on an annual basis by their actions on the job. Like it or not, pilots have more effect on the bottom-line, from an operational perspective, than any other employee group. Fostering bad-will with miscalculated intentions will only serve to alienate the asset managers (pilots) and break down their motivation. An unmotivated pilot can cause huge increases of costs over time... costs that are quite hard to specifically track. I'm not talking about predictable job slow-down actions. Those are usually quite obvious. I'm just referring to a pilot who has basically become less and less motivated over time. There are specific moments where our job requires you take extra initiative to compress any given delay. Some days your flights go smoothly and those moments don't exist. Other days you have to go that extra mile to clear up any bottlenecks. That is your job as Captain and you do it proudly. Beat down a pilot enough times and that motivation goes out the window. The flight still gets completed but if ATC or any other entity becomes an obstable, the unmotivated pilot slowly loses interest in pursuring the cause of any given delay. This amounts to lost productivity for the airline and increased costs. Over time, it is detrimental to the balance sheet and the reason why there isn't an airline in history that has survived, long-term, by beating down its employees.

I saw this when I was a CP in past career positions. And I used my knowledge of this human dynamic to attack costs issues in an entirely differnt manner. It was my job to convince upper managment to use pilots as a partner in our success and we were able to find common-ground just about every time a cost challenge presented itseldf. The pilots respect the business issues facing an airline but they equally expect the airline to do what it said it was going to do. If the business climate changes to where the airline can no longer provide that benefit, then any change should be negotiated, IMO.

I have a few buddies at SKY who told me about this contract violation last week. I advised them to "pick your battles." You can't win them all. Condsidering most other components of their contract remain in-tact, and are considerably more expensive, they would be better off waiting to see how this turns out.

In all truth, the company should be approaching the pilots with some sort of compromise. Asking the pilots to be partners in the success of the airline, rather than mere costs of the operation. We all realize most airlines will need to cut costs, and with Japan's overall industrial production numbers contracting by more than 38% Y-O-Y, airlines there are no exception. But arbitrarily changing a contract, without approval, will hurt them way more than the measly cost savings that was introduced (pilots no longer taking initiative while at work).

Regardless of my $.02, you all need to remain focused on the big picture. Don't do anything that will compromise your continued employment at this time. It is a tough environment out there in the job-search world for the next 18 mos. That doesn't mean opportunities aren't out there, but the number of pilots available for these limited number of jobs are higher now than ever in past times.

[Con Catenator]

Make no mistake, IAC has a long history of screwing pilots. I've worked for them, Rishworth and now PARC. Rishworth has it's moments too, but not as bad as IAC (in my experience anyway).

PARC, while not perfect, is certainly light years ahead of IAC. Try suing Jim Morris / IAC and see in which country it has to be done. That says it all.:mad:

[Dream Land]

Good post by Geebz, recently at my location they spoke of salary reductions, all contract agencies said NO, we do have to look at the big picture, not a lot of options out there now.