Current Gulf Air issues (threads merged)
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Dear CaptainOveur,
First things first, today's exodus frenzy has nothing to do with natural attrition it's a serious case of abandon ship. Secondly and more importantly natural (or otherwise) attrition does not guarrantee you get rid of "the one's you want". In fact quite the opposite, the good one's get jobs while the bad one's rejection.
The bottom line?
Scores will resign including the author
Not to sound like a collaborator, but am I the only one who reads the memo differently. I think the point they are making is that 10-12 months down the line, they will have chipped away the people they don't want or need, so by that time they won't need to sack anyone, hence the use of his favourite phrase "natural attrition".
The bottom line?
Scores will resign including the author
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to sum all of our scheming up..(make me smile we keep this thread going)
Gulf Air is in big trouble
losing massive amounts of crew
no idea what pay packeage MIGHT be
management always seems a day late and a dollar short and have trouble communicating
pink palace is in shambles
layoff rumours are making people get real cold feet
other airlines are rubbing their hands together in joyous glee
not sure if this covers all the problems but i think so
STEALING A LINE FROM IRONBUTT "NOUGH SAID"?
Gulf Air is in big trouble
losing massive amounts of crew
no idea what pay packeage MIGHT be
management always seems a day late and a dollar short and have trouble communicating
pink palace is in shambles
layoff rumours are making people get real cold feet
other airlines are rubbing their hands together in joyous glee
not sure if this covers all the problems but i think so
STEALING A LINE FROM IRONBUTT "NOUGH SAID"?
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For me this is like when the Titanic Ship sunk into the deep cold ocean. Remember the movie when the situation was totally f*%&ed up and the band was playing music, well, any similarity with actual facts are purely coincidential. Totally agree with Captain Hair Y Balls, they want us to really strive now so the can show improvements to the board and then, dump us like garbagge. Mates, I've seen this situation before and believe me, they'll do that to us. If some of you guys still think GF gives a damn about us, well, you'll be so disappointed in 10-12 month, but at least, this thought makes me feel better: I'll be more senior than Ironbutts hahahaha. Nothing personnal IB but really will see you in a year or so looking after a job in EY or QR. No worries, you are a cool dude and we'll party in Abu Dhabi mate. Cheers!
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Capt Hair Y Balls wrote:
Capt Hair Y Balls, it's fine if you are axe grinding, but at least if you are quoting parts of the letter, do the whole thing that includes saying that they expect to reach the target through natural attrition. 
In any case, wishing you well wherever you may go or whatever you end up doing.
In other words what Mr Naf is saying is dont worry boys and gals we wont sack anyone now, bare with us and work hard to get the company organized and we'll sack you when we're good and ready in 10 to 12 months time.
In any case, wishing you well wherever you may go or whatever you end up doing.
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PJ, I personally believe, that GF are gonna reach (and be bypassed by) the desired crew-amount, just a little sooner than expected...and not just by "natural" attrition.
.
Oddy
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From today's GDN. It must be true.
It seems GF is already panicking. So where will the 1500 (or 2400 according to an internal GF source) layoffs come from then?
All pilots to keep their jobs
GULF Air Trade Union officials have welcomed an announcement from the airline that it will not lay off pilots of any nationality as part of its restructuring plans.
A statement from chairman-designate Mahmood Al Kooheji said the decision also applied to stewardesses and engineers working at the airline's headquarters in Muharraq or other branches abroad.
He also said that members of the board had agreed to eliminate inequalities in the salaries and bonuses of pilots and to train Bahrainis who used to fly the Boeing 767s to pilot the Airbus jets.
Trade union vice-chairman Khalid Al Aradi, who met with Mr Al Kooheji yesterday to discuss a number of issues, said the news would come as a relief to many of the airline's workers.
"It is our national carrier and we should take care of it," he said.
"We do not want to lose our professional people."
Mr Al Aradi said the airline had also agreed to hold periodical meetings between the union and Gulf Air president and chief executive Andre Dose to discuss issues that may not have been resolved.
He told the GDN that airline officials have agreed that a union representative should be present at various grievances committees, to be set up on a temporary or permanent basis.
The GDN reported on Monday that more than 900 Gulf Air workers had applied for jobs at other regional airlines.
Sources also said more than 500 have already been offered work with several airlines, including Qatar, Emirates and Etihad Airways.
GULF Air Trade Union officials have welcomed an announcement from the airline that it will not lay off pilots of any nationality as part of its restructuring plans.
A statement from chairman-designate Mahmood Al Kooheji said the decision also applied to stewardesses and engineers working at the airline's headquarters in Muharraq or other branches abroad.
He also said that members of the board had agreed to eliminate inequalities in the salaries and bonuses of pilots and to train Bahrainis who used to fly the Boeing 767s to pilot the Airbus jets.
Trade union vice-chairman Khalid Al Aradi, who met with Mr Al Kooheji yesterday to discuss a number of issues, said the news would come as a relief to many of the airline's workers.
"It is our national carrier and we should take care of it," he said.
"We do not want to lose our professional people."
Mr Al Aradi said the airline had also agreed to hold periodical meetings between the union and Gulf Air president and chief executive Andre Dose to discuss issues that may not have been resolved.
He told the GDN that airline officials have agreed that a union representative should be present at various grievances committees, to be set up on a temporary or permanent basis.
The GDN reported on Monday that more than 900 Gulf Air workers had applied for jobs at other regional airlines.
Sources also said more than 500 have already been offered work with several airlines, including Qatar, Emirates and Etihad Airways.
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So the plan backfired??? All of a sudden they want to keep the highly qualified proffesionals? Were GF crew not highly qualified in April? Did it have to take EK, EY and QR and lets not forget WY to open the eyes of GF to the qualifications of their OWN staff? Why did all the crew have to resort to running away for the airline to realise that they were needed. Is GF too big for their own boots? Are they finally swallowing the FAT pride that brought them down in the first plce? Well I can ask a billion more questions but I think you'll all get the point. They will point the gun to your head before reaslising that death is inevitible. Still not a nice position for the person who the gun is being pointed at though no matter what the reality..
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This management is not to be trusted. They keep contradicting themselves which means they are either lying to us or don't know what they are doing. Whatever it is it's not a safe or secure place to be.
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Well well, interesting developments on the horizon. Todays GDN made for some interesting reading. Bored (spelling correct) member Mr Kooheji claims NONE will be sacked!!! Correct me if I'm wrong but wasnt that the same Mr Kooheji who first announced 25% reduction in the workforce namely 1500 EXPAT CREW to be sacked in the GDN?????
Likewise the GF trade union (why the hell they call themselves a union I dont know) immediately expressed their support to the redundancy plans "since no bahrainis would be sacked".
Have you lads read the story about the boy who cried wolf? Well this is developing into a very similar story. This management have lost every ounce of credibility they ever had with these acts of desperation. Frankly they are totally lost and I suspect they havent the foggiest of whats going on. CRISIS MANAGEMENT in all it's glory. We go from 1500 sackings to the slap across the face when all three majors in the region run and book hundreds to interview. Then realizing they could potentially be faced with not enough staff to operate aircraft they promise gold plated "packages". Next reaction is :
Next day the GDN comes out with some interesting numbers of potential imminent resignations and finally the sh!t hits the fan in the pink palace, calls are made announcments are required...............
Mr Kooheji GF board member states categorically NO REDUNDANCIES
WHO THE HECK DO YOU PEOPLE THINK YOU'RE FOOLING?
Do you honestly think you can play around with peoples lives like that and they will just sit around and take it?
Likewise the GF trade union (why the hell they call themselves a union I dont know) immediately expressed their support to the redundancy plans "since no bahrainis would be sacked".
Have you lads read the story about the boy who cried wolf? Well this is developing into a very similar story. This management have lost every ounce of credibility they ever had with these acts of desperation. Frankly they are totally lost and I suspect they havent the foggiest of whats going on. CRISIS MANAGEMENT in all it's glory. We go from 1500 sackings to the slap across the face when all three majors in the region run and book hundreds to interview. Then realizing they could potentially be faced with not enough staff to operate aircraft they promise gold plated "packages". Next reaction is :
As we are all aware that our airline has been in the news and the recent media coverage has indicated that there will be significant reduction at Gulf Air staff, especially in the cabin and cockpit crew, in the coming month.
This is not correct. The process of cabin and cockpit crew staff reduction will take 10 to 12 months
This is not correct. The process of cabin and cockpit crew staff reduction will take 10 to 12 months
Mr Kooheji GF board member states categorically NO REDUNDANCIES
WHO THE HECK DO YOU PEOPLE THINK YOU'RE FOOLING?
Do you honestly think you can play around with peoples lives like that and they will just sit around and take it?
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Speak Out
As the going says:
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
Something needs to be done to stop all the talk from all the confused around.
GF should Issue now the new PACKAGE .with better conditions for all.
This will show who is the CRY WOLF.Company giving the carrot only by bla bla bla or the Pilots who will eventually decide if they will stay or leave after the new package is announced.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
Something needs to be done to stop all the talk from all the confused around.
GF should Issue now the new PACKAGE .with better conditions for all.
This will show who is the CRY WOLF.Company giving the carrot only by bla bla bla or the Pilots who will eventually decide if they will stay or leave after the new package is announced.
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Do you honestly think you can play around with peoples lives like that and they will just sit around and take it?
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Michael Kent is the biggest crook the industry has ever known!
How he ended up at GF no one knows, he can be credited with Ansett's folding, thanks to his practices (malpractices) he left a hole worth millions of dollars, no wonder Murdoch never wanted to recapitalise the airline. He is doing the same here. Although this time he is sharing the takes with everyone around him (names can be supplied on request) all this bit about chefs is a smoke screen for the biggest con the industry has ever known.
How he ended up at GF no one knows, he can be credited with Ansett's folding, thanks to his practices (malpractices) he left a hole worth millions of dollars, no wonder Murdoch never wanted to recapitalise the airline. He is doing the same here. Although this time he is sharing the takes with everyone around him (names can be supplied on request) all this bit about chefs is a smoke screen for the biggest con the industry has ever known.
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<sigh>. Sorry guys. I respect you as pilots and fellow co-workers but some of you sound like hand-wringing village wives.
I am not sure I understand where management has gone “back” on what they have said. Back in early April when André Dosé and Björn Näf announced that there will be reductions total staffing at Gulf Air, I also recall them giving a general number and saying that, in the area of crew, they did not expect to have to make any lay-offs since the combination of “natural” attrition and a hiring-ban would take care of itself within a few months time.
Quite frankly, I appreciate the new management’s candidness in giving us the bad news and what needs to be done even though it had also given me some restless nights. However, in a part of the world where “normal” news is fantastic story-like projections of growth and opportunities, and where the ugly or bad is so sugarcoated to be unrecognizable, the medicine prescribed for curing Gulf Air also provoked a upset stomach in many employees. People got cold feet and competitors set up shop in the Mövenpick. The “stampede” ensued.
As a result, the “natural” attrition was greatly accelerated. I think management’s failure in this case was to overestimate how many people would get frightened and run for the exit. This is a shame, because I now believe we will have lost too many people. Recent memos have re-iterated that the Company does not have the intention to force the attrition of crew—but this time they have done so with much more compelling language. Yet this message, from all the messages I have read, has always been consistent since April. I appreciate also that Management has been trying to be very open. Individuals like Dosé and Näf have invited employees to approach them with their concerns, a fact that has been reiterated by Björn in this recent memo. But lets face it guys, while they are trying to make themselves available to address our own concerns (which they need to, by the way) they are trying to also run an airline and reform it into a sustainable organization.
So if not from crews, where will the lay-off’s come from? Well, there is more to an airline than just a couple pilots, a few more hosties in the back and some wrench-swinging mechanics. As I write this message, the Bangkok-station staff is attending a meeting to find out who will be laid-off. In Bangkok alone, about 50% of the staff will be losing their jobs. The morale there is very bad, as you can imagine, as they are losing their jobs as a result of something that they had nothing to do with. Other stations such as Hong Kong, Jo-burg and Dublin are closing entirely, and these people will also be collecting their last Gulf Air paycheck. I expect that there will be other staff-cuts in administrative areas.
Sadly, we are losing some great people here at Gulf Air, but I feel even more sad for those whose decision was made for them.
I am not sure I understand where management has gone “back” on what they have said. Back in early April when André Dosé and Björn Näf announced that there will be reductions total staffing at Gulf Air, I also recall them giving a general number and saying that, in the area of crew, they did not expect to have to make any lay-offs since the combination of “natural” attrition and a hiring-ban would take care of itself within a few months time.
Quite frankly, I appreciate the new management’s candidness in giving us the bad news and what needs to be done even though it had also given me some restless nights. However, in a part of the world where “normal” news is fantastic story-like projections of growth and opportunities, and where the ugly or bad is so sugarcoated to be unrecognizable, the medicine prescribed for curing Gulf Air also provoked a upset stomach in many employees. People got cold feet and competitors set up shop in the Mövenpick. The “stampede” ensued.
As a result, the “natural” attrition was greatly accelerated. I think management’s failure in this case was to overestimate how many people would get frightened and run for the exit. This is a shame, because I now believe we will have lost too many people. Recent memos have re-iterated that the Company does not have the intention to force the attrition of crew—but this time they have done so with much more compelling language. Yet this message, from all the messages I have read, has always been consistent since April. I appreciate also that Management has been trying to be very open. Individuals like Dosé and Näf have invited employees to approach them with their concerns, a fact that has been reiterated by Björn in this recent memo. But lets face it guys, while they are trying to make themselves available to address our own concerns (which they need to, by the way) they are trying to also run an airline and reform it into a sustainable organization.
So if not from crews, where will the lay-off’s come from? Well, there is more to an airline than just a couple pilots, a few more hosties in the back and some wrench-swinging mechanics. As I write this message, the Bangkok-station staff is attending a meeting to find out who will be laid-off. In Bangkok alone, about 50% of the staff will be losing their jobs. The morale there is very bad, as you can imagine, as they are losing their jobs as a result of something that they had nothing to do with. Other stations such as Hong Kong, Jo-burg and Dublin are closing entirely, and these people will also be collecting their last Gulf Air paycheck. I expect that there will be other staff-cuts in administrative areas.
Sadly, we are losing some great people here at Gulf Air, but I feel even more sad for those whose decision was made for them.
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MikeHunt. I don't have the answer to your question, nor do I know who Michael Kent is or anything about him.
However, I do remember a memo written by André Dosé asking employees to report cases of corruption. Have you approached anyone yet, either anonymously or otherwise?
I am also curious to see if Managment will keep to their word in addressing this "black hand" issue.
However, I do remember a memo written by André Dosé asking employees to report cases of corruption. Have you approached anyone yet, either anonymously or otherwise?
I am also curious to see if Managment will keep to their word in addressing this "black hand" issue.
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PJ, I respect your moderation when posting about the current situation in GF and believe you speak the truth on most of the issues. However do you really believe that after all the misinformation and contradictions that these guys can be trusted? I for one have lost all trust in them and am not prepared to put my career and future on the line. After a long time in this airline and a history of supporting the company, feel it's time to move on. What credibility do they have now? They came with all the wrong credentials for the job and were soon exposed as not being up to the task. They will blame everyone else rather than take responsibility. If the only thing we get is some cheap childish catch phrase "Yes we can do it" then I'm afraid we need to man the life boats and let them re-arrange the deck chairs for themselves. In short we cannot believe them anymore.