BALPA taking the piss?
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BALPA taking the piss?
Anyone want to share why BALPA ask for £60 from hard up newly qualified/unemployed pilots for their career conference at Heathrow in October?
Call me old fashioned but surely the union meant to be looking out for the best interests of the industry should be doing its upmost for us.
I used to work in Event Management and I can assure you, there is serious profit getting made here.
We're all rooked so we don't want a 'light lunch', Boots meal deal will suffice thanks.
Call me old fashioned but surely the union meant to be looking out for the best interests of the industry should be doing its upmost for us.
I used to work in Event Management and I can assure you, there is serious profit getting made here.
We're all rooked so we don't want a 'light lunch', Boots meal deal will suffice thanks.
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As a non BALPA employee I don't, however based on what I know of the industry.
Use of conferencing facilities and function room + 1 seminar room for lectures would probably be around the £1,500=£2,000 max. for the day.
The airlines attending probably have to purchase space, dependent on the type of display, you are looking at £40/sq.m. Smallest stand will be 3x2 = 6sq.m = £240, multiply that by 20 odd airlines.
And on top of this cash generator, charge attendees £60, from the organisation who's sole purpose is our welfare. Why insist that attendees buy lunch which adds an extra £10-15 a head via the hotel.
The idea of bringing employers together, good.
The exploitation of us by yet another org/company/school, rancid.
I gather from your response you think charging £60 is both value for money, covers their costs and is therefore necessary?
Use of conferencing facilities and function room + 1 seminar room for lectures would probably be around the £1,500=£2,000 max. for the day.
The airlines attending probably have to purchase space, dependent on the type of display, you are looking at £40/sq.m. Smallest stand will be 3x2 = 6sq.m = £240, multiply that by 20 odd airlines.
And on top of this cash generator, charge attendees £60, from the organisation who's sole purpose is our welfare. Why insist that attendees buy lunch which adds an extra £10-15 a head via the hotel.
The idea of bringing employers together, good.
The exploitation of us by yet another org/company/school, rancid.
I gather from your response you think charging £60 is both value for money, covers their costs and is therefore necessary?
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I negotiated terms cheaper than that at better venues, so I reckon it is.
I never said or implied they did owe us anything Ze, however it would be nice if they didn't exploit us.
I never said or implied they did owe us anything Ze, however it would be nice if they didn't exploit us.
Tell you what, stay away from BALPA and do us members a favour. No pleasing some people, but when you want assistance with something, don't then go crawling back.
Have a nice day!
Have a nice day!
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One of Thatcher's children are we Helimutt? As long as I'm sorted, bugger the rest of you!
The reason for the thread was to ask if PPRuNer's thought £60 was justified, and those who were unaware of it to question if it was value for money.
Events such as this, aimed at a specific segment of the workforce should not be exploitative in my opinion, however it is my opinion and not shared by all.
As for BALPA's assistance, I'm unsure of its effectiveness. I've had experience of the VC (German pilots union) and Italian's actively dragging their heels with foreigners being hired, is that copied here to promote UK nationals from being hired here? ...... No chance!
I've seen Yanks and Canadians come over in drove to fill gaps at charter companies, and foreign nationals work for UK airlines without hassle which sadly wouldn't happen in reverse.
However tis unrelated to the post, but please don't have a go when someone asks questions that expose the not so pleasent side of things.
The reason for the thread was to ask if PPRuNer's thought £60 was justified, and those who were unaware of it to question if it was value for money.
Events such as this, aimed at a specific segment of the workforce should not be exploitative in my opinion, however it is my opinion and not shared by all.
As for BALPA's assistance, I'm unsure of its effectiveness. I've had experience of the VC (German pilots union) and Italian's actively dragging their heels with foreigners being hired, is that copied here to promote UK nationals from being hired here? ...... No chance!
I've seen Yanks and Canadians come over in drove to fill gaps at charter companies, and foreign nationals work for UK airlines without hassle which sadly wouldn't happen in reverse.
However tis unrelated to the post, but please don't have a go when someone asks questions that expose the not so pleasent side of things.
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Call me old fashioned but surely the union meant to be looking out for the best interests of the industry
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You have to join the union to attend.
I'm not marketing guru but surely being nice to future members is the first thing one is taught at customer relations school.
I'm not marketing guru but surely being nice to future members is the first thing one is taught at customer relations school.
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It helped me get a job.
I met the manager of a Regional Airline at the October 2005 event and the information I got from him got me an interview with them in November 2006. I passed that interview and sim assessment and was offered a job. That job offer subsequently a week later got me the interview and sim assessment with my present employer on a larger aircraft that pays a lot more money and has a better future.
I now fly 737's and was a low houred (440) modular guy aged 39 when I started 3 months ago.
I may not of had the opportunity if I had not gone to the last 2 BALPA events. You make your own luck in this world.
Dreamshiner, make your own mind up whether you bother to go to the event or not.
I would say that if you feel this way, don't waste your own or anybody else's time and stay at home.
Its the best money I have ever spent attending the last two BALPA events.
Network, Network and Network
I met the manager of a Regional Airline at the October 2005 event and the information I got from him got me an interview with them in November 2006. I passed that interview and sim assessment and was offered a job. That job offer subsequently a week later got me the interview and sim assessment with my present employer on a larger aircraft that pays a lot more money and has a better future.
I now fly 737's and was a low houred (440) modular guy aged 39 when I started 3 months ago.
I may not of had the opportunity if I had not gone to the last 2 BALPA events. You make your own luck in this world.
Dreamshiner, make your own mind up whether you bother to go to the event or not.
I would say that if you feel this way, don't waste your own or anybody else's time and stay at home.
Its the best money I have ever spent attending the last two BALPA events.
Network, Network and Network
First of all Dreamshiner don't come onto my forum with thread titles involving swear words again or you'll be banned.
Secondly I believe the BALPA conference to be useful and at £60 it is a snip compared to the presumed investment you have already made in a professional flying career.
Thirdly BALPA organise this event for you Wannabes when they derive 99.9% of their revenues from non-Wannabes. Be grateful they take the time to provide something that might help you out.
Fourthly I strongly suspect that the £60 fee covers all their costs and doesn't make them a profit worth bothering with.
Good luck,
WWW
Secondly I believe the BALPA conference to be useful and at £60 it is a snip compared to the presumed investment you have already made in a professional flying career.
Thirdly BALPA organise this event for you Wannabes when they derive 99.9% of their revenues from non-Wannabes. Be grateful they take the time to provide something that might help you out.
Fourthly I strongly suspect that the £60 fee covers all their costs and doesn't make them a profit worth bothering with.
Good luck,
WWW
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WWW I draw your attention to the bottom of the thread where there are three links with the same swear word.
Yeah, hard rules, different forum different rules. You've now been told not to do it again
Just because our training is so expensive, it hardly justifies everything else we consume, use or need should be inflated as a result.
You contend that BALPA inflate their fees for the careers conference and I contend that they don't.
Thirdly, BALPA is all heart, I doff my hat to them, kind gents they are.
They are paid for and work in the interests of their members. They are not a charity nor are they a help group for Wannabes
Forth, I reckon they get a free bar at their Christmas do
I very much doubt it, WWW
Yeah, hard rules, different forum different rules. You've now been told not to do it again
Just because our training is so expensive, it hardly justifies everything else we consume, use or need should be inflated as a result.
You contend that BALPA inflate their fees for the careers conference and I contend that they don't.
Thirdly, BALPA is all heart, I doff my hat to them, kind gents they are.
They are paid for and work in the interests of their members. They are not a charity nor are they a help group for Wannabes
Forth, I reckon they get a free bar at their Christmas do
I very much doubt it, WWW
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Dreamshiner,
Here are two of your statements:
"Anyone want to share why BALPA ask for £60 from hard up newly qualified/unemployed pilots for their career conference at Heathrow in October?"
and
"The reason for the thread was to ask if PPRuNer's thought £60 was justified, and those who were unaware of it to question if it was value for money."
My read of the original post tells me you were asking why BALPA charges £60, not whether anyone thinks it's good value for money. You clearly don't think it is, but so far nobody has agreed with you. I think it's great value for money. Maybe you should look at what you could get out of it to find the value proposition rather than what it costs BALPA to put it on.
Here are two of your statements:
"Anyone want to share why BALPA ask for £60 from hard up newly qualified/unemployed pilots for their career conference at Heathrow in October?"
and
"The reason for the thread was to ask if PPRuNer's thought £60 was justified, and those who were unaware of it to question if it was value for money."
My read of the original post tells me you were asking why BALPA charges £60, not whether anyone thinks it's good value for money. You clearly don't think it is, but so far nobody has agreed with you. I think it's great value for money. Maybe you should look at what you could get out of it to find the value proposition rather than what it costs BALPA to put it on.
Do airlines really pay to have a stall at the BALPA conference? These are the same airlines that receive 1000 unsolicited CVs every month right? I suppose they pay extra to actually talk to the multitudes.
Thatcher? Who's he?
I'm led to believe BALPA successfully negotiated for a very nice increase in pay for offshore pilots not too long ago. 30%?
66.7% of your BALPA subscriptions are eligible for tax relief.
9500 Full 'members' encompassing 25 different companies can hardly be wrong, can they?
and you spent how much on your training? Would you like to lose your licence with no backup?
No pleasing some people I guess.
I'm led to believe BALPA successfully negotiated for a very nice increase in pay for offshore pilots not too long ago. 30%?
66.7% of your BALPA subscriptions are eligible for tax relief.
9500 Full 'members' encompassing 25 different companies can hardly be wrong, can they?
and you spent how much on your training? Would you like to lose your licence with no backup?
No pleasing some people I guess.
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I'm with Dreamshiner on this one. I think sixty quid is a bit steep to say the least - almost Ryanairesque!!!! When I was a FT flying instructor and a regional TP pilot (associate and full BALPA membership held throughout both employs) I always felt (and still do ) that BALPA spent far too little time, effort and resources in looking after the smaller players. I'd like to see the association becoming far more involved in looking out for FT FIs Ts and Cs particularly..............And yes, I am still a fully paid up member of the union.