Dude read all the posts and the picture wil emerge

truth?
 

Hi,
Read all! I listened to rumours with regards to CX out of HK, few years later my buddy 's are captains on 400 or 777 on nearly $200,000, so not all rejects from interviews or training is a balenced view--however, I agree one must read between the lines and balence the "hatred" and the "love", hence I was trying to build a picture from 2009 NOT when it started - my thanks,
Fly safe

One would hope that you spend a little time and polish up on your English a bit before you head for that interview. Or at least learn to proof-read and run a spell check before you post something on the internet. If your resume reads as badly I would not hold my breath if I were you.

This just in forwarded from the crews operating in Al Ain.
The new and approved Sop, collect your pay and leave ASAP.
Will there be more information soon from the pilots there?
Several more have given the respect that was deserved an departed after breaches of contractual agreements.

So it is :ok::D

fr8dog,,,,,
talk to to yourur buddy again, word I am getting from there things have changed dramatically in the last 3 days.
Threats for training cost and prison are just some of the ones I have heard from there, just exactly what kind of company is this?
Crews let this get out of hand from the beginning, contract in the UAE are governed during entire duration of the period and cannot be changed until the end of the stated agreement between the 2 parties.
These Pilots signed the new agreement under threats, now they are trying to cut the pay even further.
Crews are leaving in the middle of the night after salary paid as what just happened again and will continue to be the new Sop.
Why has not the GCAA along with the UAE labor commission not been involved with this?

Thanks for that, writing on a PDA in a car with out one’s glasses is not easy, however I was asking around for information, if you are so great (and time on your hands) why are you reading about Midex, you should be CP of American!, don’t waste our time unless you can answer a question on a Forum about work related issues.
To the rest, fly safe

Sorry, My last aimed at Fr8dog, I have been asking around as an elderly co-pilot and my modern jet time is the “classic”, I was trying to build a picture, however our friend from the UK (2Bad2Sad) has pointed out that things are not all sweetness and light over there – thank you
Fly safe

Was just trying to help, in the mean time, get a f***ing haircut.

2 Bad, I will give him a call tomorrow and find out what I can.

The company can threaten as much as their covered little heads would like. Recent consultation with an Emirati attorney specializing in labour law confirms that:

1. All contracts in the UAE must be written in Arabic and signed by both parties to be a legal and valid contract. Midex has never offered an contract in Arabic for any pilot to sign. Thus, no contract exists there and the company has no legal recourse to enforce anything.

2. The cost to the company for a residence visa and associated other forms is approximately 600 dirhams. If they attempt to collect any funds greater than this amount upon an employee leaving, they are incorrect and will be challenged in court.

3. "Training costs" are recoverable by the company ONLY in the event a separate, signed training contract was offered. To my knowledge, no pilot has such a separate contract and thus is not liable for training costs.

At least three pilots have left in the middle of the night this week. Wouldn't be surprised if several more are to come, especially considering the constant degradation of terms and conditions here and lack of concern of those higher up. Apparently the planes will continue to fly themselves once the crews are gone.

cut in war zone allowance for F/Os and F/Es???
is that true????

As of November 1st:

Iraq no longer classified as a "war zone" (according to the company), so no extra pay for anyone for flying into Iraq.

"War zone" pay into Afghanistan now reduced for all crews. New rates $200 per Z-day (not per trip) for Captains, $175 for F/O's and F/E's, $100 for loadmasters.

Training Costs surely must be becoming astronomical concerning the high turn over of crews following recent contract implications.
Like a revolving door with this one.
Perhaps a change back to the original agreement could indeed save the company money and crews?
Surely upper managment can not be this stupid.

Never underestimate the greed and stupidity of airline managements. Especially the scumbag freight outfits.

Suspect it might be these:

http://www.pprune.org/freight-dogs/3...g-a300b4s.html

Today's Story
 

2Bad, Just got off the phone with my friend that is an engineer there on the 74. He is home at the moment and is scheduled to go back 10/17. According to him business is good, they are waiting for the 74 to come out of an "A" check and have two more coming. The pay thing is not great, but he says that if you signed a contract for the 10 weeks on and 3 weeks off the are honoring it. People have left, but he says it is mostly because of the 10 weeks in the UAE. The older guys with kids that are gone or in college are used to it as well as their wives. With the way cargo operations are right now, I would say that if you can take living in that part of the world and your family can handle the separation, it is better than no job at all. I can tell you that at Atlas things are starting to pick-up, we just brought back 13 F/O's from furlough out of the 30+ we had out. Hope this helps any of you contemplating going over there.

FR8

fr8dog,
Not the same tale from the Al Ain crews.
UAE labor comission and lawyers now involved late pay an contract violations.
Crews are being asked foward emails to the commission.
Some have complied.

2bad so sad
 

Why do you ask me to speak to my friend if you have all of the poop?
You asked, I called him, I reported, you reject it.

WTFO

I can only go by what he tells me, he works there, not me. :ugh:

FR8

Thank you for the update fr8dog.
Seems we are refering to different ones there.
Not doubting your input.
Things are not so well in the land of sand as some imply from the forwaded emails.
Pay problems documented in the UAE labor commission.
For all to see.

"Desert Airline"
 

I saw the advert for crews (for “Desert airlines”) and questions asked by several members regarding:-
Pay, Payment, Number of A/C and any extra payments etc.
Some have been kindly answered and some of us have had a dig at the company or each other--- we are all on the same side! – Its management we need to watch for on here and to keep each other informed to the best of our knowledge.
May I suggest for those in the “know” pass on the good & the bad.
To-date I have learnt:-:)
Possible labour dispute with UAE, 10 weeks on 3 off, reduction in war zone pay for F/O’s & F/E’s.
They had the advert, so my questions are:-
When are they hiring, Do they pay on time now? Are they charter (ACMI)?
How many B747 do they have?---Thanks to date for all comments, interesting reading --cheers:)

Just got the news of ex-DO, AG passing away. Sad indeed.
Surprised no one mentioned change of A300 CP and Director Maint???
CBAFIL

Something must be going right!!!!!!!

AFI KLM E&M support for MIDEX B.747F @ AMTOnline.com Top News

:ok:

You guys make me laugh...
 

Well, its been since March 24th that I've come back to here and read all the goings on about Midex Airlines. Who works here, who doesn't. Who has "reliable friends" here with good information. You all make me laugh. I wrote here before and I'll say it again: "If you don't work here, you don't know". Your "reliable friends" are usually full of it.

You all can tell my my screen name what my name is. I don't hide behind some crazy name for fear of being found out about. I work at Midex Airlines, I started here June 4th, 2008. I am a PFE (that Sunsetting Job) and proud of that fact. I am #15 on the roster, #8 PFE. So, yes, I work here. A few answers to all those who write here:

1. I was lucky enough to get five extra weeks at home while the 747 was in AMS for maintenance. When I got back, I got paid... everything that was owed me through the end of September. The company did not withhold any pay. Hope that answers that burning question posted earlier.

2. Yes, if you aren't here on the 1st of the month, you don't get paid till you are in Al Ain, no matter if you are on company business outside of here. Does this suck... yes it does. Why is it: its because two Airbus guys, last year, where home on days off. They found their way into a ground school for another airline during that time. The used every trick they could come up with to not come back on time: calling in sick, having family problems, whatever... until the end of the month when they got paid and then they quit. Is this the right thing to do... No. Does it happen... Yes. The owner of this company made the decision to change the fact we don't get paid till we are in Al Ain. He owns the airline, he makes the rules... contract or no contract. Has anyone stood up to him, don't know. I got the email from the UAE Lawyer, I did not respond. I accepted the way it is here. There is no other place in the world I can work as a PFE for the money I get. I can quit tomorrow, with no recourse if I so choose. After one year, everyone here can. I choose to stay and put up with things... I need this job right now.

3. In the past 5 months, only 5 crew members have left this company. Two 747s FOs and three Airbus crewmembers. Don't know why the Airbus guys left and really don't care. They have the right to leave... whether its in the middle of the night or by 30 day notice. DM made it clear that if you give a 30 day notice, you will be treated properly and the two 747s FOs were... as by the email sent by one of the to all the 747 guys. These two FOs didn't leave without a job. They went to Orient Thai to fly for a few months, more than likely for the Hadj. They left for their own reasons as we all will in time. One FO I know for a fact was upset because he felt he should have been a Captain. He had a type rating and some hours. He was denied an upgrade here. I flew with him... as nice a guy as he is, he was NO Captain. He did not possess the abilities to be a Captain. The company (Midex) made the right call on not upgrading him. But he was still upset. This may have been only one of his reasons for leaving, I don't know. I can't speak for the other FO, I have no idea why he left. But again, they left for their reasons... and only their reasons.

4. There is not big mass exit of crew members here as reported. I'm sorry to step on the toes of those that write that crap here. You all read about Midex hiring... yes, we are. The company has told us they are in the final processes of aquiring two more 747s from Air France. We all know in this business... until you're on the end of the runway pushing up the power in a new plane... you don't have a new plane. If the rumor is true, good for us. We will be hiring. Also, we hire to replace not only those that leave, but to add more A300 crews. We have always been understaffed on this plane and slowly, Midex is working to fix that. Don't always assume that because you read on a board Midex is hiring... and that you read the Crack Head comments here that we are having a mass exit of crewmembers... that is the reason for us to hire. There is no mass exit. If that were true, you would read that from Crewmembers that work here... not from those with "reliable friends".

5. After all this time, here, there are many things I don't like about this place. But I stay here because I've worked for seven other airlines and there were many things about them I didn't like either. They (Midex) pay me, they provide me with half way decent housing. Its a start up and DM is working his ass off to try and fix those things that are in need of fixing. Its a long and hard road because of who we work for here. Its not impossible but things take time. We are in a Arab world here.

So you all go right on ahead and post away. I'll come back in six more months and read all the dribble that's been posted here... when I need another good laugh.

For all you REAL pilots that post here... Fly safe. For the rest of you Flight Sim 2009 Pilots... well... enough said on that.[/FONT]

Well said Tom.

As I said much, much earlier in this thread, every month you get paid at this time of the world, is a good month.

Best of luck, regards to John Casey if he's still with you (ABX)

Well said Tom!
Well just quick question, is the 74 back yet?

@DD, I think John Casey is the new CP A300 after Jack was removed from the same post
Tom might be a good person to confirm the news.
CBAFIL

I suppose I will respond to #15's post at a later time. Here's one thing in regard to your post though, slowto280. You linked to a press release about where Midex (doing nearly 9 BILLION EUROS a year, no less) is having their planes worked on. Here is one part of that release:

"About MIDEX
Midex Airlines currently operates daily cargo services to eight cities from its hub at Al Ain International Airport: Dhaka, Chennai, Mumbai, Karachi, Colombo, Beirut, Paris and Istanbul. It also operates charter flights to Iraq and Afghanistan. The airline operates a fleet of six A300B4-203Fs and one B747-200F. MIDEX Airlines is part of the MIDEX INTERNATIONAL Group which, in 2008 generated turnover of €8.9 billion (about AED 50 billion)."

May I ask please, how much of that press release is true? We don't operate daily cargo services to those airports from Al Ain. We go hardly anywhere at all, except for flying to Iraq (for no extra pay because apparently it isn't a "war zone" any more) and Afghanistan (for reduced extra pay). Most pilots sit around for a week at a time or more before they are called for a flight. Should we believe the other parts of the press release?

Midex International (whoever they are) does nearly 9 billion Euros a year in "turnover"? That is about 13 billion US dollars a year. Surely a company of that size would have some sort of recognizable, professional web site? I have traveled all over the world and have regularly seen FedEx and UPS trucks, even in some of the most remote places. Each of those companies does about $30-45 billion a year in revenue. Midex is doing about 1/3 to 1/2 half of that, according to the press release. I've never seen one Midex truck, or one Midex office, or one Midex anything except for a few planes on the ramp in Al Ain. The few recent Midex propaganda pieces I have found refer to freight carried for different carriers, some of which, like Emery Worldwide, are out of business and have not been in business (at least by that name) since 2001.

Sure am glad they changed the schedule to 10/3 though, for "better crew utilization." Among other things, they're too dumb to see that they have us at the complex roughly 25% more during the year than they did before, and still they send emails to crew members saying that they are using too much electricity. Duh. What will be next, charging for a portion of it? Probably.

Desert Airlines
 

Thank you for your kind information, I can well understand the payment terms (not paid until back in UAE) but I worked for a 727 operator a few years back and if you did not fly, you were on 4hrs standby.Any smell of drink etc you were fired plus they came to visit you in the company housing to check at various times -so not a new idea.
I have heard that they are lookina at a 2nd Aircraft BUT this must depend on routes or charters? Do you go to Paris or is that stopped?
Great to hear a few F/E's alive and still kicking us when needed!
Be safe and thanks:D

Where did Earl's post go.
Management pressure?

I suspect that Earl pulled it. So it may just be self-preservation.

Sometimes, when the red mist departs, it seems like the expedient thing to do.

Contrary to what people may think . . . people who tell the truth with no frills are not very popular.

Not Defending Midex...
 

Mr. "I Love Midex"... since I know who you are, I don't neeed to respond to your questions about the Company Websight. Personally, who really cares about the Company's websight or what it says. I know I don't care. That websight was produced long before I came to work here and as you know by working here, nobody really keeps up with anything anyway. Besides, there are a lot more important things to worry about here.

At this time, the main core of business for the Company is flying into and out of Iraq and Afganistan. There is some things happening that if it all works out, will be a huge benefit for us, the crew members (747 and AirBus). As we who work here know, when we are pushing up the power, it must be true. Everything here is rumor... life in aviation.

Me personally, I hope things grow here for all of us. There are no jobs out there to be had... maybe Northwest might hire two pilots shortly though. I try hard not to put down the place that signs my paycheck. And since there really isn't any Midex employee on this websight that they don't know who they are, it might be a good suggestion for others to do the same.

Yes, John Casey is the new Chief Pilot for the A300 crews. Jack Barnes is continuing his work as the TRE/TRI for the AirBus crews.

The 747 returned from AMS a couple of nights ago. I flew it 24th. The plane came to us in very nice condition. KLM did a very nice job. Hopefully the other two... if and when... they arrive will be just as nice.

OK... that my job done for the next six months. Fly safe.

It could'nt have been said any better. Good job Tom !!!

I pulled my post because I did not want to start a pissing contest between some posters here.
But the numbers of pilots that have left Midex is much higher than some have posted, more like 12 or so that have left in the middle of the night.
The pay issue that AKH stated and says he can understand is not a good thing for any one at Midex or any airline.
Pay should be paid on payday for work already performed, on time every time, not just when in Al Ain.
Most have past the one year obligation, no excuse for this or claiming training cost.
If people leave well that's just a cost of doing business, happens in every airline,,,the ones left should not be punished because of this.
There are other jobs available, more are coming as the economy improves, , .
The pilot group at Midex does look after each other, this I can say is one of the best when it comes to times of trouble or hardship I wont expand on this but pilots here are like family, they do stick together.
Could really become a good place to work if they get this pay situation straightened out.

Earl You are a man with guts,The truth hurts for some of the running brown noses.
Take care and give Mark best wishes from my.

Earl, I sympathised with your plight and believe you as an honorable and trustworthy man despite the short time that I had known you in your previous airline.
Just hang in there and though there are disappointments and shortfalls in the management in Midex, it's still a fairly secure job nonetheless.
Things will look brighter in the future I believe for the airline and the aviation industry on the whole.
Fly Safe.:):)

Airtraveller

If you post, congratulations John! You've come a long way from the IASCO days.
I know little of the company other than that of what friends who work there tell me but I do know this, they lost the chance for a really, really good contract over the crew and other issues.

Sorry for bit off the topic.
Condolences for the capt who just passed away couple of nights back. May his soul RIP....and family be strong enough to catch up with the great loss.
CBAFIL

Your never off topic when recognizing a fallen crew member

He was a great person to fly with over at Atlas, he will be missed!

He was a good friend an honest person to all that knew him here also.
Great person to work with, always there if you needed him.
A type of person you could depend on in good and bad times.
He will truly be missed.
Godspeed M.E.

What was his name? I knew a few people who flew in Atlas