Virgin Blue EBA
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne
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Hi colleagues
Has anyone heard if we are getting our backpay this week?
Is that 'over promise, under deliver' line they drummed into us in training not appicable to payroll or management?
Has anyone heard if we are getting our backpay this week?
Is that 'over promise, under deliver' line they drummed into us in training not appicable to payroll or management?
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: The Ultimate Crew Rest....
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WIRGIN BLEW,
It was interesting to read your comments regarding the seat belt sign and when crew should sit down.
As a crew member for 30 years I realise how inconvenient it is to halt the meal service because of turbulence.However if it is good enough to have the seat belt sign on to protect the pax then it is also good enough to protect the cabin crew.Otherwise you would not have the sign on in the first place.
I find the VB classicification of turbulence interesting but I can assure you that turbulence can occur at any altitude just not when in close proximity to the ground.
It was interesting to read your comments regarding the seat belt sign and when crew should sit down.
As a crew member for 30 years I realise how inconvenient it is to halt the meal service because of turbulence.However if it is good enough to have the seat belt sign on to protect the pax then it is also good enough to protect the cabin crew.Otherwise you would not have the sign on in the first place.
I find the VB classicification of turbulence interesting but I can assure you that turbulence can occur at any altitude just not when in close proximity to the ground.
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Brisbane
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Crewbus,
I haven't looked myself, however another member of my crew got two payslips this week. One for normal pay and the other for backpay. But, alas, the backpay amount was no deposited into her account.
I haven't looked myself, however another member of my crew got two payslips this week. One for normal pay and the other for backpay. But, alas, the backpay amount was no deposited into her account.
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Brisbane
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Sinala- mine finally arrived in the bank on Monday morning.
Lowerlobe- we were never "underpaid" in the first place- the back pay is a result of the on-going negotiation of our eba. We haven't had a payrise in two years.
Lowerlobe- we were never "underpaid" in the first place- the back pay is a result of the on-going negotiation of our eba. We haven't had a payrise in two years.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: 38,000 ft
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The Company and FAAA have agreed that this amount of 3% is seperate to the agreement and I guess is to be seen as a gesture of goodwill by the company.
Kind of like the commission we get paid for onboard sales, nothing in the EBA about it but just another gesture of goodwill.
One week till the 4 crew start on the 800. Most seem to be resigned to the fact that this is the way to go. Please fill in safety reports if you think things are going amiss and meal break forms as well.
We cant reverse the decision but we have to let the company know if its not working.
My scenario is R2 picking up the 8 UMNR's, R1 standing at the overwing, and the CS halting boarding for any number of good reasons leading to delays. What problems have the rest of you forseen?
Kind of like the commission we get paid for onboard sales, nothing in the EBA about it but just another gesture of goodwill.
One week till the 4 crew start on the 800. Most seem to be resigned to the fact that this is the way to go. Please fill in safety reports if you think things are going amiss and meal break forms as well.
We cant reverse the decision but we have to let the company know if its not working.
My scenario is R2 picking up the 8 UMNR's, R1 standing at the overwing, and the CS halting boarding for any number of good reasons leading to delays. What problems have the rest of you forseen?
Join Date: May 2004
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Wirgin Blew, I echo your sentiments re boarding and disembarking on the -800 during refuelling being the major safety setbacks. Ground crew told me the other day they have already been told that 8 unmins will change to a cap of 4, which is a start. I suggested that Ground Crew bring them to the aircraft and sign them over to the CS at the L1 door. A point that was made was that ground crew are unlikely to ask the questions that CC want the answers to (medication, food allowable, can purchase stuff of carts etc etc) - not through intentional negligence, but because they already have enough to think about. Possibly the unmin forms can be expanded to include sections where parents can answer all the questions CC would usuallly ask?
Join Date: May 2004
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Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue are all crewed by separate companies (at least I think Pac Blue and Poly Blue are not crewed by the same crew!)... at this stage, VB crew operate domestic sectors only.
Join Date: Jun 2006
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The cap on unmins is a good idea, however we have a cap NOW which the ground supervisor can lift at his discretion - the cap of 4 needs to be frim. Not sure a form with the questions on it is a good idea as I find parents just tick boxes to get their kids on - when you actually ask them if there are any medical issues - they suddenly come forth with some. My understanding is JQ doesn't bother with unimins and I can see why!
Thre crew ratio has not changed - it is simply that CASA has given VB an exemption on the 800 - which means that if CASA audits us and thinks its unsafe (ie - no time for the over the top briefing to be done properly - or R2 not making it to the overwing before the stampede) then they will withdrawl the exemption - so safety reports are essential! Its only if parliment ever change Oz to 1:50 that the 4 crew will be permanent. Hopefully CASA will see the better of this little experiment.
Anyone else being hit with massive hours lately??? My understanding was we were only going to be hit with mega huge trips AFTER the bidding system??
Adam xoxo
Thre crew ratio has not changed - it is simply that CASA has given VB an exemption on the 800 - which means that if CASA audits us and thinks its unsafe (ie - no time for the over the top briefing to be done properly - or R2 not making it to the overwing before the stampede) then they will withdrawl the exemption - so safety reports are essential! Its only if parliment ever change Oz to 1:50 that the 4 crew will be permanent. Hopefully CASA will see the better of this little experiment.
Anyone else being hit with massive hours lately??? My understanding was we were only going to be hit with mega huge trips AFTER the bidding system??
Adam xoxo
Join Date: May 2004
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Originally Posted by Adam Ant
Anyone else being hit with massive hours lately???
Rest is also about winding down and relaxation - "de-working" for a bit. This is something I have bought up in the past, and will bring up again. I know some crew want to be home as often as possible, and thats great. However for those of us who actually enjoy the travel, I think crew would look forward to going to work more if they had time to spend in the cities we fly to - outside the hotel! ESPECIALLY in Melbourne - 15 hours from midnight till 3pm the next day at the airport hotel is mind-numbingly painful. I personally believe little things like this (giving crew enough time to get out there and see the places we fly to - doesnt have to be 5 days or anything, but sufficient rest - even with long days thats fine - just give us time to get out and about as well!) will really increase crew morale and engagement. I understand there is talk of increasing Min rest in the next EBA to 11 or 12 hours, but 12 hours really is still not enough to see or do anything other than the hotel really!
I love my job, really I really do, and want to continue to do so! Sure there may be a bit of a cost increase in transport to and from MEL city hotel instead of us walking to the airport hotel, but especially on the midnight arrivals into Melbourne this would greatly reduce sickness on those trips I think - so the costs would balance out. Same goes for the bus system in SYD - spending sometimes up to an hour of your rest period sitting in airports waiting (half hour at sign off, half hour at sign on) because of the bus schedules is not particularly pleasant.
I am going to Pro-actively bring these points up in the forums - I want to present solutions rather than problems - its these little things that make such a difference to crew, and I believe that people who don't fly and dont live the lifestyle we live cant really understand that (not through lack of trying - moreso through lack of living their lives out of a suitcase!). With the massive cost savings achieved through the 4 crew on the -800, combined with other cost savings that will subsequently be achieved if the new work rules come in, I believe there is scope for a little bit of change in our favour too
Oh and just to clarify, its important that people understand that this is *NOT* a whinge/bitch - moreso a suggestion on ways to, as D.R. says in his email sign off,
“Creating an environment where people want to fly and enjoy it”
Thankyou
Last edited by sinala1; 25th Jan 2007 at 22:51.
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Morale is going down but the comment that I had heard recently was "out with the old in with the new". That was in reference to the fact that VB turns there staff over. I dont like to believe this as it costs money to train people and to have them leave just when they are getting efficient is madness.
People are leaving for various reasons and in the last week alone I have flown with more than 5 which is possibly the reason why the hours are out of control. I personally have been around the 125 for the last 6 months but next month it has dropped to 110 ish. These are only rostered hours, add in the AVL days and this number starts to go up.
Also I just feel like DR is "over promising and under-delivering" atm with the EBA. First it was Sept 06 then Dec 06 now we are looking at Jun 07. WTF is going on with this. Let us have a look at the EBA and decide whether it is even worth looking at rather than drag it out for 6 months then vote no anyway.
As BG said in his email about LH. We need to stay focused on SH which is our business.
Sorry if I am ranting, too many early starts.
People are leaving for various reasons and in the last week alone I have flown with more than 5 which is possibly the reason why the hours are out of control. I personally have been around the 125 for the last 6 months but next month it has dropped to 110 ish. These are only rostered hours, add in the AVL days and this number starts to go up.
Also I just feel like DR is "over promising and under-delivering" atm with the EBA. First it was Sept 06 then Dec 06 now we are looking at Jun 07. WTF is going on with this. Let us have a look at the EBA and decide whether it is even worth looking at rather than drag it out for 6 months then vote no anyway.
As BG said in his email about LH. We need to stay focused on SH which is our business.
Sorry if I am ranting, too many early starts.
The email that came out the other day said "very near future" for an EBA...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne
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From what I hear, I think most people are happy with the EBA we have. Let's face it, we are always going to want more rest, more money, more days off etc.
My opinion, the longer this EBA takes, the better. I think we have it pretty good at the moment...
My opinion, the longer this EBA takes, the better. I think we have it pretty good at the moment...
Join Date: Jul 2001
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I think most people are happy with the EBA we have
I think we have it pretty good at the moment...
Do you really enjoy the fact that you can do a 3 day trip with 4 sectors everyday and minimum rest both oevernights.
How about getting a phone call on your day off to work- and not having the option to say "no"!
One of my favourites is doing 6 days on and then 1 day off, only to back up and do another 6 days on!
I could go on and on and on...
Really take a good look at our current EBA, we really don't have any protection for health and lifestyle. Everything can be changed due to "unforseen circumstances". Everything. (I worked with a crew member last week who had just had 12 hours rest at home!)
A lot of crew may be say that the current EBA is 'better the devil you know', but I haven't spoken to anyone who thinks that the current EBA is a good EBA.