Received the mail; seems we're back in business...for now.

If MK are taking on a couple of extra aircraft, do you know it there are any plans to take back some of the crew they laid off then?

If you are happy to fly for no pay - start tomorrow :)

Would they not need at least some of their old crew back if they're getting two ex AAI aircraft and therefore start paying people again to get them back?

Everybody has been paid in full, while it is not correct that people are paid late at least pay has beem forthcoming, which is not always the way in this industry. Intresting to see what happens this month.

Yes, everyone has been paid as of now. How can you say pay was not late when one bloke just got his pay yesterday? 3 weeks is late for pay already a month in arrears! And now word is 20% pay cut and will not be on time for the next round of pay either!

Jeepers, Mk really dont deserve to be out of administration...

MK employees deserve better. MK management needs to be sacked because they are the ones that botched it. Maybe the MD should consider giving up his 500,000 USD salary along with the COO and DFO. Are they suffering? 20% pay cut will break some blokes! Too bad stupidity does not hurt!

Lamb Shank try reading what I said at no time did I say that people were not paid late, what I stated was that it was wrong that people are dicked around for thier money at least they finally got it which is not always the case in this industry

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't AOC holders required by the authorities (in MK's case, the UK CAA) to have a certain amount of liquidity? :confused:

Sorry friend, misread the thread!:ok:

I understand that with effect from today all ground staff will be paid in proportion to how much flying the aircraft does. This is capped at a 20% reduction on their basic pay but is not capped on the upside if the aircraft flies more hours. Based on what hours the aircraft flew in the period May & June everybody will effectively take a 20% cut in salary unless business improves which is unlikely until probably September at the earliest. The staff have no choice, accept it or leave. (Hardly an investment in the loyal MK staff who have stuck with it through thick and thin!). Am not sure if this revised pay structure effects the aircrew. Not a happy situation.....

Was it not the Belfairs Management Group who, through TransAtlantic, put the money in to get MK up again? I am sure somebody is going to be pissed about their investment.

carholme

same management same outcome
 

They will continue to screw you for as long as you allow yourselves to be screwed. Your situation is the spitting image of your country’s (Zimbabwe) you are the Changari’s of aviation, the only question remains is how much of a beating are you prepared to endure?
Unforunately best thing here is to take the float devide amongst 3 and park the aircraft wherever you are. The Doc isnt gonna step in until he feels what you are feeling!! Good luck guys was a pleasure while it lasted!!
And to the rest of you that were never there let me tell you they are the best bunch of guys one could work with:D

I wonder if they are too busy paying back the banks to have any money left over for the pilots

Take legal action
 

Why not consult a good solicitor if you have a wages dispute? Take for ex. the advise on: http://www.pprune.org/terms-endearme...ml#post4759858

There you'll find a certain mr Kevin Bodley, maybe he can help? Besides he is the new MK Secretary now... wonder if he drives a BMW?

good luck...

p.s. why so much fuss about 20% Look at what the people who produce the flowers you are flying in are losing: their culture, their society, their water, there hope... and ern about a 1$ a day... watch:
http://cgi.omroep.nl/legacy/player?/...b.20090611.asf

and read http://allafrica.com/stories/200907201252.html

Rumour around "The Farm" is one of the VIP crew has refused a flight now. Maybe all the crews should follow this example.

What a shame or is that sham. Management can always justify spending money on their projects and in the same breath justify cutting your pay to pay for theirs!! Makes you wonder who they are listening to for all their wisdom. Oh well hang in their boys I'm sure they are looking out for your best interest. Are you sure Frank Lorenzo isn't running this airline. Maybe he has a room in the MD's house??!!

If everyone (crews) would stick together, perhaps a message would get through to them. The problem I see is too many people are loyal to a fault and will fall on their swords to keep this airline going. Don't fly. Park the plane like the VIP crew did!

80% of a salary is better than 0%. Blackmail or no blackmail. Airlines the world over are culling a lot more people.

MK could have implemented this a tad better though to put it mildly. But hey no HR department so are you suprised!!

A strike would be interseting though... would MK, PP and the Doc listen or would the Doc just shut it down as it is costing him a LOT of money right now.

Sounds like somebody wants to let it go broke and sell off the assets. But then again who wants classics?

I have to agree wiht cheekyflyboy 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing while you are busy sending out CV & waiting for replies. If Mk continue in operation until the so called good times return lets hope all the employees not just Aircrew as this affects everyone turn the tables & screw MK for as much as they can get. Maybe then the management might learn the value & necessity of consultation & negotiation with its staff who without their loyalty MK would have been finished before it got started.

Officially, MK doesnt hire any crew, they all contracted to an off shore company. I dont know how but NI contributions, Tax in the UK doesnt apply to them. Guess they can do what they like to the crews salary also.

Maybe if Mr Kruger drove between Susex and Manston last week, instead of using a helicopter he could save more than 20% travel costs to help pay crew.

Cost cutting should go all the way to the top, in fact should start at the top and work down!

Good luck to all at MK except the top boss!

It seems now the 727 is flying with the crew doing the base training in Amman, Jordan! I wonder if that is legal. The Gulfstream Skipper was given his 30 day notice today. Funny the coincidence!

A couple of us have spoken with a solicitor regarding the 20% pay reduction. According to him, we are actually contracted to Oxford and Anfield Services. We can have this solicitor draw up and file proper paperwork against both these companies for failure of providing proper notice. We may have to pitch in 20 or so GBP each to get this done. If anyone is interested, I have set up an email.

mkpilotgroup at googlemail dot com

If you are interested, please send your inquiries to this address. This is completely confidential and no names or email address will be given out. The administrator of the email account is the sole user. Thanks and good luck. This forum will not accept the normal email address so it is spelled out above.

I don't know if the 'Doc' views these threads,but I'm sure someone close to him does.
Here is an open letter from some of his engineers, maybe those in the know can bring it to is attention.

Dr. Al-Anizi,

We would like to, respectfully, express our concerns over the future of MK Airlines and, ultimately, our livelihoods.

During the period of administration we have offered our unwavering support to the company. We have appreciated your input and efforts in keeping the company in business.

We have been subjected to many promises including new aircraft (747-8F), third party work on various aircraft types and improvements in terms and conditions to mention a few. Many of these we hoped would be honoured.

It was put to us at a meeting called by Mike Kruger at 18.00 hrs on the Friday before the bank holiday, that the company needed a gesture from the workforce to ensure your continued support. It was suggested that an effective pay cut in the form of a 'Performance Related Pay Scheme' would be the way forward. We were told that this would be a voluntary agreement to be entered into on an individual basis. No hard and fast proposal was put forward and no measure of our co-operation taken.

You are, no doubt, aware of the dismay and severe financial hardship that the unannounced imposition of this action is causing to company members.

We are aware of the current world recession, and are further aware that no one owes us a living. We would be behind the efforts that you and your team are putting into saving the company, and understand the need for tight fiscal control, were we consulted.

During a recent meeting with senior managers, many questions were asked about the future of the company and the need for these drastic measures. Answers were not, and are not, forthcoming.

Our fears, and those of other company members, would be allayed if were to have an offical statement from either yourself or Mr. David Tattum giving your assurances for our futures and the direction the company can look forward to taking in the short, medium and long term.

Respectfully yours,
NBandR

I wonder if the Doc is kept up to speed on what is happening in the torrid world of MK.Methinks that if something is not done quickly then his new toys are not going to be ready to play with as there will be nobody who wants to fix them.there is one sure way to annoy and make people leave is to mess their pay around,lessons must be learned and rapidly or it may be a case of ready, steady,GO!!

I think one needs to be reaslistic that in the current financial climate all airlines, especially cargo ones, are suffering. Even the top guys such as Cargolux are grounding aircraft, so what chance does MK really have flying old -200F's and flying almost exclusively for Panalpina and the odd flight for TAAG. MK don't offer any scheduled cargo services in their own right and if they lost the Panalpina business they would be dead in the water tomorrow. There is too much cargo capacity chasing too little business and the likes of CV,MP,EK will survive this downturn but MK needs to change their business model if they want to have any chance of survival, however much money is thrown at it. I do feel sorry for all the staff and crew who have been loyal throughout and with very little reward for this loyalty so far.:confused:

This is looking like a Midex Airlines thread ! :=

This post is starting to get a stale altough still relevant, a small number of people who are obviously connected with the airline have made comments while the majority of the airlines staff realise that the situation that they are in is not unique within the airline industry at this presnt time & are just trying to make sure that Mk survives(take BA for example). The way that certain things have been implemented are not corrected & the company really needs to look at its policy for dealing with its staff but is coming on to a public forum & airing your grevancies the way to improve things or should the couple of individuals involved who are inciting strike action, law suites & stating that "they are out of there" the way forward. Normally the people who make the most noise about the way management operate are the ones who sit on their hands with their mouths shut when given the oportunity to speak directly to them leaving someone else to fall on their sword. We all have a choice in our careers if your not happy or feel you are getting screwed you know where the door is, vote with your feet if enough people do this it will impact more on MK than all the slagging they are taking on a forum that they probably dont read or care about.

Basic rules of business
 

Companies have shareholders who choose to share the profits (or losses) of the business. These shareholders also have a voice in how the company is run. If I worked for a company and was asked (or in this case told) to change from an agreed fixed salary to a "performance related remuneration package" (or dividend as it is more properly known), then I would be looking for a share in the company.
Aside from the fact that this is a supremely arrogant way to treat people, I reiterate my earlier post that unless MK (and many other businesses like them) change their business model, they are heading for an inevitable end.

Exactly

If moving to performance related pay then it's fair to expect to know how much MORE will be given in the good times. Singapore airlines have a variable component to the pay package. At the moment it is worth zero due to the world financial crisis plunging the airline into the red. Effectively a 10% pay cut for the pilots. However during the good times it has been substantial.

Now MK pilots know how much they'll lose on the swings, let them know how much they'll gain on the roundabouts.:hmm:

Strangely Quiet
 

9 days and no new posts?! Everyone must be pleased with the pay cut! "The Farm" has been quiet too! Wonder what is happening?

I think "Pleased with the pay cuts" is probably the wrong statement, facing the fact that it has happened is nearer the truth. Other than that buisness as usual. All people can do is hang in there & if the flying increases take the performance related pay increase that has been agreed to by the management. The other option is to move on but as we all know there is not a great deal around at this time.

There might be another option:
Unite all pilots, talk to the management and negotiate better conditions and payments for all.
The only problem seems to be to unite the pilots and find the right negotiators.

I don't see how MK could or would agree to 'negotiate better conditions and pay' even if they wanted to when they are clearly losing their arse in the current climate. It's a game of survival at the moment and maybe a reduced salary is better than no salary. Avient have supposedly laid of 6 capts, 3 F/O's, 3 F/E's and 3 Loadmasters today so the future isn't exactly brilliant out there :confused:

I totally agree that a reduced salary is better than no salary.
Nevertheless the way it should be done is in making a contract in writing for a limited period of time and confirmed in writing that when the situation has improved, the salaries are returned.

You scratch my back and I scratch yours.

Write it down so it does not get forgotten.

It looks like the Doc is rich on paper, but does not show his money!

Once all the debt was gone in the Adminstration then he should put money into fixing the Aircraft he has not keep running down hours and cycles then buying another piece of Junk!

He has very good engineers and staff and he should not be cutting the salary as they are not paid enough as it is to robbing bits from 7 others to keep 3 flying!

One more has just been parked at Bristol to give up its Engines for the cause!

I think with the flying hours now, even if they go over 200 hours to stop paycut they risk grounding aircraft as the last 3 will be due big checks soon

At least MK Helicopter flys ok, and often!

I totally agree that a reduced salary is better than no salary
 

Actually Wanderer, I think you will find the most appropriate maxim in this particular case is "you play ball with me and I'll shove a bat up your arse":E