The end is night! Abandon all hope etc etc...

[170to5]

Guys

I'm quite surprised, as I think a lot of people might be, that Monarch look like they'll be offering part-time contracts for new joiners when they next recruit.

Having only been flying for a few years, can people with more experience tell me do part-time contracts come out of the woodwork during every downturn or is this a new trend, companies only paying people who paid over 50 grand to train themselves to work part of the year? I know that people may have no choice, but if you ask me it's a pretty dire step (along with all of the other dire steps) to reduce a pilot to working on a part-year contract...

If this is a big trend, I'm wondering how long it'll be before we begin to accept that being paid by the block hour is just 'the way the industry is going' - then I'm going to leave.

Would BALPA not be better off pushing for fewer pilots being taken on, but on full-time contracts?

I note that this effectively makes a Monarch F/O only worth 40 grand per year - or can you easily go out and find a 3-month contract?

[4Screwaircrew]

It's being going on for many years Air Europe were the earliest that I know of but others may be aware of earlier events. The reason given then as now is the seasonal nature of the holiday business.

[PURPLE PITOT]

It always has been seasonal. Work your butt off in summer, take it easy in the winter. All on a full salary of course.

I am dumbfounded by the stupidity, or is it just nievety, of the supposedly intelligent aviators out there these days. (not you 4screw, your management!)

[SPLIT-FFMTCC]

Here's a radical suggestion, why not change the commercial departments wages to a percentage contract and not the pilots?

Surely its up to them to find work in the winter months and consequently the pilots shouldn't be penalised for their inability.

I agree with Smooth, BALPA haven't just missed the boat with this, they are still in the hotel, sipping the cocktails they are charging to BA's room.

I haven't seen one strong statement that is designed to unite the UK based pilot workforce from BALPA when we have had a number dire, outrageous and lamentable practices thrown our way in the past few years.

Let me remind you, P2F, percentage contracts, foreign pilots, Easyjet's behaviour, etc.

It's a long list, BALPA's silence is deafening.

[zeddb]

Nothing new I'm afraid. I used to work in engineering (outside aviation) and the push to part time soon turned into temporary contracts only and eventually contracts issued on a rolling monthly basis. Makes it easier to hire and fire as demand fluctuates. The company did of course expect loyalty, day off and unpaid overtime etc. No one ever refused in case their 4 week lifeline was not renewed.

Great fun if you are trying to get a mortgage or bank loan. HMRC refused to look upon these contracts as effectively freelance and insisted that all "employees" remain on PAYE thereby removing the last hope of ever escaping the deadly cycle. That particular firm has now become "virtual", employing almost no one at all and using temporary labour when needed. The idea that as older guys with all the local knowledge retired, they would end up having to employ people properly again evaporated recently when the once proud company announced that it was selling it's city centre premises for "development" (overpriced flats in other words) and will soon cease to exist. The managers have all found lucrative employment screwing up other good companies or have retired to count their dividend payments and tax free bonuses in more agreeable climes. Of the two hundred odd guys I knew who used to work there in the old days, not a single one is now employed in that particular field. All done remotely from London using machines and broadband links, overseen by a spotty kid in a beanie cap on 200 quid a week on a dock labour scheme. You used to need a degree.

Every day I thank god that I only have a few more years to go, which is pretty grim when you think about it. I enjoyed my younger days. Now I look at guys and girls in their 20's and feel nothing but sympathy.

It's called progress. I have another word for it, see if you can guess what it is.

[Serenity]

Says nothing of this on their company website!!

How you know it all?????????:confused: