I have been reading this thread for some time now and I'd like to know if you would permit me to make some observations. Before I get jumped on by some of the regulars because this is my first post and I have only just joined today, please don't let that fool you. I have signed up with a new name solely in order to protect my my anonymity and have been reading Pprune and posting in other forums for many years with another identity.
I am a pilot and I work for Virgin Atlantic. Some of you have mentioned in this thread that you would like to hear how we managed to get ourselves such a good deal three years ago and are trying to compare your fight with the one that we had at that time. The big difference as far as we were concerned was that we had an extremely high number of pilots in the same, single union. In addition, our union representatives had our respect and support.
From what I have seen throughout this period of negotiation between the cabin crew and the company is that you do not have either of those advantages I have mentioned above. Correct me if I am wrong, but you have more than one union representing you all and that the number of cabin crew actually in the unions are no where near the overwhelming percentage that we the pilots had during our dispute with the company. Those two things alone are destined to thwart your objectives in these current negotiations.
Whilst I believe that you are right to negotiate for the best possible terms and conditions that you can get and the company can afford, you have to balance that against the current trading position of the airline and the industry in general. We as pilots have been briefed by management just as the cabin crew have. I would not have expected less from any company that is in the same position as VAA are at the moment.
As pilots we get to hear from and talk to the cabin crew we work with and we are able to provide our own personal perspectives on the concerns that the cabin crew have regarding their pay and conditions as well as their representation through their union. Any action that will disrupt the company will have a knock on effect for all of us and it is in our interests to make sure that our own points of view are heard, even if they are not exactly what you want to know.
One interesting observation is the fact that the cabin crew union membership are still backing their reps. I know of no other union or democratic institution that would back their reps after overwhelmingly rejecting their initial recommendation. If that was not a vote of no confidence in their reps then I do not know what else they need to realise it. Now, having shown that there is no confidence in the cabin crew reps, the reps are again recommending that the revised offer from the company should be accepted, there is a vociferous group who are still advocating a rejection of the final offer. What is even more astounding, this vociferous group are advocating going into a strike with a leadership that will have had not one but two votes of no confidence in their work and recommendations.
I certainly hope that the vociferous group are a tiny minority. I have no idea whether they are or not. However, what the silent majority need to appreciate is that if you thought that taking industrial action without a leadership that instils confidence for the hard slog which would ensue, then you are destined for failure in your objectives. Reading some of the comments on here about it would only be for a few days or whatever shows that there is a naivety from some of the militants that leaves most of us with a bit more worldly experience totally breathless. Lambs to the slaughter doesn't begin to describe what the outcome would be.
No doubt by now, the militants are battling to contain their wrath and angst at what I, simple line pilot, have to say about the current situation. Well, before they all jump on here and make their usual claims of management infiltration or whatever, they have to realise that I and many of my pilot colleagues agree that your terms and conditions need improving. What we are offering is support and advice without the rhetoric that appears to accompany some of the missives that some militants post on here.
I am fairly sure that the company will not improve their offer. All the claims by the innocents who have no real understanding of real world economics with childish rants about how the company has pledged X number of millions for climate change or invested in new aircraft orders or improvements in company infrastructure which in turn, somehow is meant to suggest that the pot is still very full and they should be compared to cabin crew from BA or wherever, are little more than pitiful examples of a childs tantrum and foot stomping in anger.
The only advice I can offer is that you think very carefully what would happen if you managed to stop the flying program for one or two days. The cost to the company would indeed run into the hundreds of millions of pounds. It still would not get your offer increased and more than likely would lead to a downsizing with all the ramifications that entails.
You have a two year offer on the table. It is not perfect but it will now give you two years in which to organise yourselves properly for the next round of negotiation when the current offer eventually expires. If you, the cabin crew, are not able to learn from this experience that you need to have overwhelming support from your members, not just a simple majority and that you need to have one, professional and well trained representative union to negotiate on your behalf, not a combination of less organised unions battling with each other for your union dues, then you will be doomed to failure in the future too.
My advice, for what it is worth, is take the offer and use the next two years to plan your next round of negotiations. Use everything you have learnt and make sure that you organise yourselves properly.
We pilots work closely with you and see and hear the complaints about your terms and conditions. We know that we are much better off that you but that does not mean that we do not care about how you feel. We know that a happy crew reflects on our customers and it is how they perceive our company that generates the money that we all have a fair claim on for providing our services to the company in the first place.
Good luck with the decisions you have to make and remember to visit us and have a chat on those long flights. We appreciate the company and want you to get the best possible deal you can. It's not rocket science but neither is it beyond the realms of possibility to get yourselves organised properly to get your fair share of the pie if you do a good job and keep our passengers coming back for more.