Virgin Blue to re-deploy pilots to avoid redundancies

[Grogbog]

Things must be getting tight at VB. From The Australian

Virgin Blue to re-deploy pilots to avoid redundancies | The Australian

[hongkongfooey]

So are you saying it might be a good idea to politlely decline the offer of an interview with V Oz

[porch monkey]

Has been going on for months. It really is a pity that the idiot reporting it puts his own spin on it, and months after the fact. Maybe he's been in hibernation or something??

[slice]

LR 3 - generally when someone is seconded they stay on the the terms and conditions of their original employer, in addition to accommodation , cars etc being provided. Secondments are generally temporary in nature as it is expected the employee will return to their original employer. Sometimes, depending on circumstance, they can wind up being long term.

The commands offered to VB FOs at PB are not secondments. Hopefully if these offers are not taken up it will force the hand of management to spread all VB / PB / Poly flying across the pilot group keeping everyone busier and adding a bit of diversity to the flying (Islands, Bali, Tasman, NZ Domestic, PNG).

[Red Jet]

In actual facts they HAVE seconded pilots to PB in the past, 'cause that's exactly what secondment is - keeping your original terms and conditions whilst providing your service for a third party (the accomodation and car was just allowing them to get on wiuth their job - cheaper than hotels and crew transfers for VB). What's now on offer is an INTERNAL TRANSFER, where any takers would be subject to the T&C's that PB pilots are working under

[dirty deeds]

My theory:

1. Employed 50 pilots too many on the assumption that 50 pilots from VB would take up the VAUS flying, because this offer was such a joke, no one took it. Hence, 50 pilots too heavy now at VB.

2. How does the company fix this problem. They use the old annual leave trick as an excuse to scare the pilots into taking their annual leave or be made redundant. What this does is reduce their leave balance costs (granted), but more importantly:

HAY PRESTO, THERE IS NOW DIRECT ENTRY COMMANDS AT PB BASED IN BRISBANE AND SOME POSITIONS AT VAUS WE CANT FILL AND IF YOU DONT TAKE THESE POSITIONS YOU ARE FIRED! THESE POSITIONS ARE NOT ON VB TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

This is all a tactic to get more pilots on private contracts, the HR manager at the V group has stated this is his goal, ITS HAPPENING AND ITS REAL, A CAPT AT PB GETS PAID APPROX. WHAT AN FO GETS PAID AT VB.

FOS AT VB NEED TO STAND TALL NOW AND WAIT RIGHT TO THE END UNTILL THE COMPANY HAS TO TRANSFER YOU TO PB OR VAUS ON YOUR CURRENT PAY AND CONDITIONS. IF WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN, WE WOULD HAVE HIT AN ALL TIME LOW IN THIS COUNTRY FOR PAY AND CONDITIONS. HAVE A LONG THINK ABOUT IT BRFORE YOU TAKE A DEC AT PB.

[psycho joe]

It would seem that 50 too many pilots in VB equates to almost enough pilots in any other airline.

[Kiwi Expat]

Dirty Deeds good post. I agree.

This is an example where both VB and PB pilot group’s need to talk and work together!
At the end of the day we have to leave the past in the past, and move forward together, otherwise RT’s plan to divide and conquer will take full effect.

Call me naive, just my thoughts

Expat

[speedjet]

The pilot groups can talk/make as many arrangements as they want, but unless the company agrees there will be no 1 pilot group. Just look at Sunstate and Eastern, combined seniority agreed to by pilot groups but company refused to acknowledge it.
Back to square 1

[slice]

I don't think there needs to be one actual pilot group. It just seems management are doing handstands to get the numbers up at PB or secondments to fill PB numbers the flying could be done by either group. Of course management want as many crew on the lower PB conditions as possible.

[porch monkey]

Don't hold your breath about guys not taking the slots. Last count I heard was 14 hopefuls.......

[Neeewman]

Not sure about the latest offer. but I hear the F.Os that have been seconded to PB are making approx 115 k australian- plus dta -plus $ 550 NZ per week for housing and car.I understand thats alot more than a captain makes in NZ > they must be feeling a lttle shat on by their own management .come to JQ lads ! no offence intended to the VB lads of course. who could knock back such a good offer

[Trevor the lover]

Don't mean to hijack the thread but Porch Monkey made a good point.

Porch Monkey said - "It really is a pity that the idiot reporting it puts his own spin on it, and months after the fact. Maybe he's been in hibernation or something??"

Australia has journalists, and aviation journalists, ie the like of Scott Rochford, Geoffrey Thomas et al. From the generic brand of journalists I expect rubbish to be written about aviation. From our aviation journalists I expect some journalism based on fact with aviation thinking applied. Sadly not so.

This story in last weeks Australian is a case in point. And Rochfort dragged up a story two weeks ago about Tiger losing money which was months old, and Geoffrey Thomas's appearance on Sunrise yesterday regarding Qantas being shepherded across the Pacific was shameful.

He was asked by Professor Mel - "So in essence they were flying totally blind across the Pacific without any idea of where they were going?"

I expect a response of "NO, navigation was fine, they knew where they were and where they were going, but they lost the ability to detect on the radar significant weather, and thus be able to effectively avoid it."

But Thomas's answer "Yes absolutely - they were flying totally blind." So Joe the plumber sitting at home thinks the expert has confirmed they couldn't see where they were going and they were lost.

No hope for us.

[Yusef Danet]

VB FOs often earn more than PB capts even before they're on secondment, especially if said capt is in first year of command.

Doesn't mean any are interested in extending, even with the unethical pressure coming in phone calls from Christchurch.