EZY stoops to new lows

[Kayser Sose]

Word through the grapevine is that EZY flexicrew UK employees have been offered the opportunity of a permanent contract now, based in Berlin Tegel for a minimum of three years on a local contract, with a salary of 40,000 euros per year. When the offer was taken to the union in Germany they explained on the current contract in place there, an FO with the company for three years would take home 98,000 euros and under no circumstances to accept this offer as this was an underhand tactic trying to undermine the German union by implementing UK pilots on separate local contracts in order to drive down the current T and C`s in place.

The offer has subsequently been retracted as apparently Phil Smallwood is very angry at the fact the offer was disclosed to the German union, which the pilots in question were perfectly entitled to do. Angry! I suspect the emotion he should be looking for is embarassment that such a ridiculous offer was ever tabled := . Anyone with further information please post as these methods employed by EZY should be heard by all in order that they can fully appreciate the audacity of the EZY management.

[bluelearjetdriver]

Not much to add. That is exactly what is happening/has happened. As far as I know all of the first lot have turned down the offer, so let's see what the next lot do.

They will keep offering it until someone bites. I just feel sorry for the poor sucker who signs this contract and then realises what his collegues are earning.

[Mikehotel152]

An FO with 1500 hours at EZY gets nigh on 100,000 Euros per annum?

[captplaystation]

A constantly amazing fact of aviation is the survival of the inept, when it comes to managerial positions.
If us simple airframe drivers were similarly gifted, there would be aluminium trails festooning mountains worlwide.
These guys however seem to be immune to the laws of natural selection, and slip seamlessly from one position to the next, leaving catastrophe in their wake.
Worlwide problem in this (and indeed probably most) industries.

[kriskross]

It's not necessarily that they are inept, but as has been said before they will keep trying it on until someone bites. The real problem is that someone WILL always bite. I seem to remember that quick commands were offered a few years ago on condition that the base was Madrid, on at the time a rubbish contract.

Management know that pilots in the Company will rant a lot but will not go the whole way to support their fellows, viz DTM, and I think, very clever in manipulating this disunity to their own advantage - more and bigger bonuses

[RAT 5]

I know nothing of this tiny timber person, but to answer your question of how they survive: look at the experience requirements for any flt ops mangerial position and it will demand previous....Thus, only those who have been partially responsible for an airline demise, or instumental in trashing T's & C's, or have shown themselves inept have previous experience and are available. The good guys stay put. It is often the airlines filling vacuums of those deceased who will re-employ those least able because their CV fits the bill. Seen it too many times, even at the highest level. Considering the hoops pilots have to jump through... CV, references, phsycobabble tests etc. how can it be that some managers at top level can get suitable references?? Staggering. This is a general comment and not targeted at this unknown to me individual, but it is to anwser a questioned raised.

[RED WINGS]

Maybe they are so inept they are promoted away from the line for safety reasons :} Or They are lower cost than a decent manager, sound familiar???

It seems in most industries incompetance is rewarded with promotion!

[The flying bob]

98 000 euros a year for an FO is simply wrong, even with the maximum seniority!!! Please get the right information before telling nonsense here.

[Superpilot]

It doesn't make sense that they tried selling this **** deal at a base where EZY pilots actually have balls :suspect:

[OPEN DES]

98 000 euros a year for an FO is simply wrong, even with the maximum seniority!!! Please get the right information before telling nonsense here.

Don't know about SXF. But in some bases SFO's are on 100k+ eur.

[Norman Stanley Fletcher]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of my colleagues, I feel personal insults towards Phillip Smallwood are both unprofessional and misguided. This is a public forum and we should be cautious about making ourselves appear ridiculous. There is a private forum for this internal discussion, but even there some caution should be exercised in uttering personal abuse. He is middle management and merely the bringer of the bad tidings. We are attacking the wrong person and need to address these complaints through the appropriate union channels. As an aside, our UK union reps have said that PS is a great person to deal with - he is up-front and straightforward. These are the key qualities I would look for in a manager, and am therefore wary of the criticism being brought by people who have never met the man.

[flipster]

Well put NSF,

Everybody should be very wary about what people say about others; good or bad - been caught out by that one! In fact, so has Mr Smallwood on one occasion that I can recall. Personally, I have never met the man, so he gets the benefit of my doubt.

However, it seems to me that the 'bonus culture' of airline middle-management has brought about the demise of common-sense and good leadership at that level. Maybe in this case, as NSF says, PS was only the monkey and not the organ-grinder?

Of course, there is also the theory that management always get promoted to one level above their ability!!?

[PPRuNeUser0178]

Bottom line is this "deal" had a confidentiality clause in it.

All those of us even slightly concerned about this regimes' attitude towards us should be concerned about this.

Anyone going to an SEP should ask why the management feels the need for a confidentiality clause in a contract when it was not needed in the past. Then slip in Roland Berger and watch the denials come thick and fast.

They are not open. They are not trustworthy. They are NOT re-engaging. They ARE full of empty promises and hot air, eg the pay "offer".

Give this lot an inch, and they will rob you blind.

As for PJS, he walks a tightrope, but with Cor as his paymaster and general, deciding his future, which side do you think he is really on?

My attitude may change when the new CEO sacks Cor. BTW has she started yet? Has Harrison gone? Is anyone at the helm?

[Akro]

Where do we find that Roland Berger Report again?

[BitMoreRightRudder]

Don't know about SXF. But in some bases SFO's are on 100k+ eur.

Where, and how? Even allowing for the (hopefully) forthcoming 10% loyalty bonus and a hell of a lot of sector pay/nightstops I can't see how any of the european contracts would see an SFO earning THAT much....

[clanger32]

Two small points from my perspective as A) a moderately senior manager in a non airline business [gave it all up to get qualified, then some Scottish tit broke the economy, hence back flying the desk! :}]

A) Management bonus culture - what pilots fail to realise is that increasingly managers are getting the same rogering that pilots do - it's only the very very top dogs now who get any decent wedge. An awful lot of Managerial salary is now made up of target related, performance based bonus. Therefore, try considering (in a "know thy enemy, understand their actions to understand how to fight it" way) that from a managers perspective he has to make these targets to pay HIS mortgage. You want to stop the divide and conquer, give him an alternate means to meet his targets, that doesn't impact you so badly. For example, most airlines have scheduled block hour information for almost all (all?) their destinations - suggest adding an economic value to that, and the CREW get bonus based on outperforming that economic value (Managing SFC etc)

B) Managers AREN'T idiots. Pilots are almost all generally quite intelligent, but one common theme is that they think they know everything, about everything. Read through these forums and you'll find senior captains who started flying at 19, yet reckon they have better grasp of economics than people who did a degree and do it for a living. You'll find people who wouldn't have a clue what tools a trader uses to hedge oil, yet reckon they can do it better. The truth is, there's a reason why you take 15-18 months to be even remotely competent in flying an aircraft - we should really extend the same courtesy you expect for your flying skills to other trades - management being one.

C) WHY do bloody managers (;)) continue to drive improvements by non consultative measures! I consult my team on almost any major decision and it pays monster dividends....they understand WHY I have to do some of the things i have to do, they provide alternate solutions, everyone is happier!

D) The point of German FOs making €98000 - I had taken that to be a take home figure, combined for the three years - i.e. they would be taking home around €32 and a bit thousand euro per year. Divide that my local deduction percentage for what in the UK would be NI, Tax and you have a rough approximation to annual salary....which I'm guessing would equate to somethign nearer €45k per year
gah.

[wind check]

Nowdays, we can see more and more skinny young guys between 19 and 22 years old, wearing 2 silver stripes and looking like tired and as poor as slaves...so I guess they are those unexperienced teenagers from the p2f CTC school. Their mission in Easyjet is to get the wages down so Easyjet can still cope with the hard competition of Ryanair, Wizzair, jet4u, pegazus, niki and all those kind of low cost things.
Future is not bright in this profession.

[Norman Stanley Fletcher]

aeroncaman - no.

I stand by my view that personal insults are not appropriate or acceptable. Nonetheless, it should also be stated that the imposition of a confidentiality agreement is a clear union-breaking tactic. I am very disappointed to see that, despite much talk of 'pilot re-engagement' there are still shady deals being attempted. This deal is totally unacceptable simply because it was a deliberate attempt to deceive our German colleagues. Fortunately they were onto it immediately and can now go into attack mode over this attempted misrepresentation. Sooner or layer we will have to return to the table and any lack of integrity like this simply makes negotiations more difficult.

[PPRuNeUser0178]

News directly with one of 8 Parc FO's offered this "deal" by PJS. He and the 7 others have been subject to the most horrific intimidation, including the threat that their contract will be terminated for informing the Union of the details of this insult.

I have not seen the wording but I cannot see how by opening an email you are bound by the words in it to not reveal the details of a contract that you have not accepted.

This is bully tactics, with the threat of loosing your job.

1% payrise anyone with lots of promises?

Come on BALPA, gloves off!

PS rumour tonight is short of 200 skippers for Aug and 70 FO's have resigned in the last week.

Cor MUST be sacked.

[Coffin Corner]

70 F/Os resigned? Where the hell have they gone then?

[billybuds]

Sandpit I believe.

[clear of the tower]

Dead right,
ek recruitment is full of ezy cv,s.both seats want out,even the boss at ek is asking whats gone wrong at the orange machine,.....answer is whats right,t and c(no)flexy everyone(no):mad:,let me tell you a story (no)..and norman stanley and his spin friends(NO),
:p

[Cpt_Gurn]

PS rumour tonight is short of 200 skippers for Aug and 70 FO's have resigned in the last week.

I think not, 70 FO resignations is a ridiculously inflated figure. Divide by 10 and your a bit closer :zzz:

[Norman Stanley Fletcher]

It is extremely important, if we are to be credible, to ensure the figures we quote are accurate. I simply do not believe that we are 200 skippers short and that 70 resignations have just been received. I know that a number are in the pipeline, but I will be amazed if those figures are anywhere close to being correct.

Regarding the alleged intimidation of the Parc guys, this must be clearly and thoroughly investigated by the Union. If found to be true, heads must roll - we simply cannot tolerate that in any way, shape or form. I am one of those who dared to believe that we were entering a new period of engagement with our managers - if these rumours are substantiated then that would prove otherwise and we cannot be expected to be compliant.

The bottom line for me is that I do not fear hard talking and am willing to engage with the company on all levels. What I could never accept are under the table deals or threats whereby a handful of desperate young pilots are used to try and break the Union in any sphere of our operations. If any of those pilots are reading this, they should actively seek the advice of BALPA before signing anything as this could seriously backfire on them. I wait with interest to see the outcome of the inevitable behind-the-scenes activities that will take place over the next few days.

[Giggey]

You see, that's what i really don't like.

whereby a handful of desperate young pilots are used to try and break the Union in any sphere of our operations. I'm not desperate at all. I have 2000hrs on A320 and more total.Flown in three different continents and not just on ILS's with AP on.
I will not bend to an insult as what was offered lately.

And you know what? if i will get offered something like that at the end of my contract i will simply say thank you and leave. And i will for sure find something else.

Understand?

[stansdead]

Giggey,

Firstly, good on you for having the balls to stand up for yourself. Bravo!!

NSF,

It's time to realise that your management have screwed up massively in every way possible. They don't deserve your respect anymore.

Now there is a new broom in town, you guys should be pushing for regime change immediately.

[Agaricus bisporus]

NSF wrote; [QUOTE]we were entering a new period of engagement with our managers [QUOTE]

Interesting what the dictionary has to say about the word...

Engage

Make over as a pledge, pawn, mortgage. Put at risk, compromise. Bind by legal or moral obligation. Urge, persuade, induce. Secure for one's own use. Enter into. Insert into. Attract and hold fast. Fasten, attach.
With reference to combat; Enter in to combat, bring to battle, (of combatants), bring together preparatory to fighting.

It can be very instructive to examine the real meanings of those unusual/misplaced words so widely scattered into management wankspeak, they expect you to be wowed and impressed with their cleverness in using words that hitherto had never been used in that context, and hope to demonstrate their intellectual superiority by bamboozling you by it's use. They are always careful imply, but never confirm the word's "new" out of context meaning, and it is of course seldom what you thought it would be.

I have long deplored the use of "engage" in this context as having an implied meaning of "cosying up to to" or similar, when as you can see it really means "insert into", "enter" and "engage in battle". All thoroughly well understood principle of certain companies' "managements".

None of the other definitions given here are particularly positive either.

Listen to what they actually mean, not what you thought they said!

Management wankspeak is nothing more or less than verbal fraud.
Again, a well known technigue.

Personally I don't want to be "entered into" any further by management, thank you. My eyes are watering enough as it is.

[Wingswinger]

Facta non verba. Facile.