Wall Street Journal article on EK crewing problem.
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Wall Street Journal article on EK crewing problem.
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Here it is:
DUBAI—Emirates Airline is fighting an unusual headwind: labor trouble.
In the U.S. and Europe, the Dubai-owned carrier, the world’s largest international airline by traffic, is fighting accusations by rivals that it benefits from unfair government subsidies. Back home in Dubai, however, it is engaged in a rare tussle with its own cabin-crew staff.
According to current and former staff, cabin-crew employees have been complaining internally about a host of issues, including accusations the airline is asking crew to work more hours and shortening layovers between connecting flights. In response, Emirates is hosting a series of unprecedented meetings where staff can air grievances directly to senior management. It also recently suspended a performance-evaluation system of cabin staff—conducted after each flight—that employees complained was too critical.
Labor trouble is a frequent headache for global carriers, where strikes and other job action can lead to disrupted service. But in Dubai, a semiautonomous monarchy that is part of the United Arab Emirates, strikes and unions are banned. Emirates has long been a demanding employer, especially for cabin-crew personnel—requiring rigorous training, including in etiquette and grooming.
ENLARGE
An Emirates Airbus A380 flies above rooftops as it comes in to land at London’s Heathrow Airport. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGESBut cabin-crew staff also enjoy benefits not typical at many other airlines, including free accommodation and transportation to and from work. That has all helped keep a lid on open labor strife among its roughly 20,000 cabin-crew employees—at least until now. The dissent comes as the airline is growing rapidly and trying to recruit aggressively to fill its cabins. Emirates carried 44.5 million passengers in its last financial year, and forecasts 70 million passengers by 2020.
It plans to hire 5,000 more cabin staff this year, to accommodate growth and attrition. That fast clip is straining current staff, according to some employees.
Flight attendants say they are having to work more shifts, with shorter layovers. First-class attendants, who typically work their way up to their postings in premium cabins, are being asked to work in economy to make up for shortages there, according to these employees. Many cabin-crew staff had some annual leave allocation deferred last year, they said.
‘There are a number of subjects that are causing concern at the moment’
—Terry Daly, Emirates’ senior vice president of service delivery, in an email to staff.
Emirates said in a statement that it hasn’t shortened layover times, and any changes to staff routines are exceptions that comply with safety rules. Staff have to work in other cabins at times, the carrier said. Emirates didn’t immediately respond to a request seeking comment about deferred leave.
The company also declined to comment generally about cabin-crew complaints, and it declined to make executives available to comment for this article. Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the General Civil Aviation Authority, the U.A.E.’s airline regulator, said issues about airline labor conditions are a matter to be sorted out between staff and management.
The new gripe sessions announced earlier this year are one way Emirates is trying to manage the complaints. In an email in January to staff announcing the meeting, Terry Daly, Emirates’ senior vice president of service delivery, wrote he was “aware that there are a number of subjects that are causing concern at the moment.” He called the meetings “an opportunity to talk about these directly with me,” according to a copy of the email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Emirates has held three sessions so far. The first meeting, held last month at Emirates’ Dubai headquarters, dragged on for double the scheduled two hours, according to three attendees. In a statement, Emirates said the forums last month were just one of many ways employees could communicate with management. “We have always encouraged open dialogue,” the carrier said.
Emirates Chief Executive Tim Clark has recently weighed in. Late last year, he started to send a quarterly “update” email to employees, soliciting feedback from staff. But he also warned about gossip mongering: “I’m astonished by the range of colorful stories that sometimes do the rounds in our company,” he wrote in October. His advice, he continued, according to a copy of the email reviewed by the Journal, is to “keep well away from naysayers and gossips and focus instead on our ambition to be one of the most loved lifestyle brands.”
Write to Rory Jones at [email protected]
DUBAI—Emirates Airline is fighting an unusual headwind: labor trouble.
In the U.S. and Europe, the Dubai-owned carrier, the world’s largest international airline by traffic, is fighting accusations by rivals that it benefits from unfair government subsidies. Back home in Dubai, however, it is engaged in a rare tussle with its own cabin-crew staff.
According to current and former staff, cabin-crew employees have been complaining internally about a host of issues, including accusations the airline is asking crew to work more hours and shortening layovers between connecting flights. In response, Emirates is hosting a series of unprecedented meetings where staff can air grievances directly to senior management. It also recently suspended a performance-evaluation system of cabin staff—conducted after each flight—that employees complained was too critical.
Labor trouble is a frequent headache for global carriers, where strikes and other job action can lead to disrupted service. But in Dubai, a semiautonomous monarchy that is part of the United Arab Emirates, strikes and unions are banned. Emirates has long been a demanding employer, especially for cabin-crew personnel—requiring rigorous training, including in etiquette and grooming.
ENLARGE
An Emirates Airbus A380 flies above rooftops as it comes in to land at London’s Heathrow Airport. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGESBut cabin-crew staff also enjoy benefits not typical at many other airlines, including free accommodation and transportation to and from work. That has all helped keep a lid on open labor strife among its roughly 20,000 cabin-crew employees—at least until now. The dissent comes as the airline is growing rapidly and trying to recruit aggressively to fill its cabins. Emirates carried 44.5 million passengers in its last financial year, and forecasts 70 million passengers by 2020.
It plans to hire 5,000 more cabin staff this year, to accommodate growth and attrition. That fast clip is straining current staff, according to some employees.
Flight attendants say they are having to work more shifts, with shorter layovers. First-class attendants, who typically work their way up to their postings in premium cabins, are being asked to work in economy to make up for shortages there, according to these employees. Many cabin-crew staff had some annual leave allocation deferred last year, they said.
‘There are a number of subjects that are causing concern at the moment’
—Terry Daly, Emirates’ senior vice president of service delivery, in an email to staff.
Emirates said in a statement that it hasn’t shortened layover times, and any changes to staff routines are exceptions that comply with safety rules. Staff have to work in other cabins at times, the carrier said. Emirates didn’t immediately respond to a request seeking comment about deferred leave.
The company also declined to comment generally about cabin-crew complaints, and it declined to make executives available to comment for this article. Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the General Civil Aviation Authority, the U.A.E.’s airline regulator, said issues about airline labor conditions are a matter to be sorted out between staff and management.
The new gripe sessions announced earlier this year are one way Emirates is trying to manage the complaints. In an email in January to staff announcing the meeting, Terry Daly, Emirates’ senior vice president of service delivery, wrote he was “aware that there are a number of subjects that are causing concern at the moment.” He called the meetings “an opportunity to talk about these directly with me,” according to a copy of the email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Emirates has held three sessions so far. The first meeting, held last month at Emirates’ Dubai headquarters, dragged on for double the scheduled two hours, according to three attendees. In a statement, Emirates said the forums last month were just one of many ways employees could communicate with management. “We have always encouraged open dialogue,” the carrier said.
Emirates Chief Executive Tim Clark has recently weighed in. Late last year, he started to send a quarterly “update” email to employees, soliciting feedback from staff. But he also warned about gossip mongering: “I’m astonished by the range of colorful stories that sometimes do the rounds in our company,” he wrote in October. His advice, he continued, according to a copy of the email reviewed by the Journal, is to “keep well away from naysayers and gossips and focus instead on our ambition to be one of the most loved lifestyle brands.”
Write to Rory Jones at [email protected]
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Tip of the iceberg
Of course Rory Jones is not even revealing the tip of the iceberg since he lives in Dubai and works for the Abu Dhabi office of the WSJ. Nowhere is he mentioning Dragana's site although he is clearly a reader.
But it is a start to put the labour and safety issues on the table especially in the U.S.
Interesting read on freedom of speech in the UAE:
Interviewing the NYU Prof Banned From the UAE -- NYMag
But it is a start to put the labour and safety issues on the table especially in the U.S.
Interesting read on freedom of speech in the UAE:
Interviewing the NYU Prof Banned From the UAE -- NYMag
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Last edited by Buford; 10th Apr 2015 at 11:17.
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@ 29:40 STC makes in interesting comment re: social media.
Lets hope he fixes any in house problems as fast as he reacts to changes in tech as he states.
https://youtu.be/VjHePahW7Os
Lets hope he fixes any in house problems as fast as he reacts to changes in tech as he states.
https://youtu.be/VjHePahW7Os
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That article will be fully exploited by the subsidy gang including the all powerful ALPA PAC.
The sad thing is - nothing about the article is untrue.
Wagons starting to circle methinks / or noose tightening?
The shortsightedness of it all is - if there is an accident/ incident & fatigue a factor and it shows that the rules were bent to make a few extra bucks ... the lawyers better be good.
Because the insurance companies swill tell the carrier :
"wait a second - you told us they didn't start work until an hour before push back per OMA - which is absolutely not the case. You have voided your cover, adios"
Someone upstairs needs to wake up.
f.
The sad thing is - nothing about the article is untrue.
Wagons starting to circle methinks / or noose tightening?
The shortsightedness of it all is - if there is an accident/ incident & fatigue a factor and it shows that the rules were bent to make a few extra bucks ... the lawyers better be good.
Because the insurance companies swill tell the carrier :
"wait a second - you told us they didn't start work until an hour before push back per OMA - which is absolutely not the case. You have voided your cover, adios"
Someone upstairs needs to wake up.
f.
Last edited by fliion; 9th Apr 2015 at 22:06.
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Thank you Wall St. Journal....
Well done Rory, well written, and about time someone picked up this story.
Post GermanWings crash, how soon before our very own pilot-friendly company psychology department (irony there folks..) starts to enjoy an ever-increasing ability to mess with people's careers? They'll be out to assess just how serially depressed, upset and generally p***ed off the majority of EK pilots are - and guess what, they'll be right. They'd best be careful just how far they start to probe, and just what they wish to look at.....
You don't have to be nuts to fly in the Middle East, but it sure helps!
Post GermanWings crash, how soon before our very own pilot-friendly company psychology department (irony there folks..) starts to enjoy an ever-increasing ability to mess with people's careers? They'll be out to assess just how serially depressed, upset and generally p***ed off the majority of EK pilots are - and guess what, they'll be right. They'd best be careful just how far they start to probe, and just what they wish to look at.....
You don't have to be nuts to fly in the Middle East, but it sure helps!
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Well done Rory, well written, and about time someone picked up this story.
I guess that Mr.Rory finally found someone to speak with, but it was a bloody job I suppose.
Passive waiting for someone to pick up the story is not enough. If you want something to change or your voice to be heard, writing on PPRuNE is not enough. It's actually very far from enough.
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This article will be just the tip of the iceberg if the news media decides to follow it. There are more than enough ex-EK pilots who are willing to talk that, should the media be willing, they will have more than enough 'proof'.
I've said before that should EK have an accident that the Guardian or the US tv show 60 Minutes would have a PANEL of 15 or 20 ex EK pilots talking about the issues.
Now, even without an accident, it is starting to brew. With ALPA and the US airlines looking to slow EK etc. this might just blow up.
I'd also contend that the unmentionable airline might not be too happy that EK's shenanigans (too put it politely) might cause them some issues.
I've said before that should EK have an accident that the Guardian or the US tv show 60 Minutes would have a PANEL of 15 or 20 ex EK pilots talking about the issues.
Now, even without an accident, it is starting to brew. With ALPA and the US airlines looking to slow EK etc. this might just blow up.
I'd also contend that the unmentionable airline might not be too happy that EK's shenanigans (too put it politely) might cause them some issues.
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Indeed Emirates management has abused, alienated and overworked its pilot group, from its junior FO to its senior TRE, one only needs to be on the line to know this.
Above all Emirates management has routinely, consistently, systematically lied to this dedicated workforce, eventually braking the thrust bond.
Emirates shouldn't have broken the thrust bond with its most critically safety sensitive workforce!
This is a Muslim country but these people seem drunk our their own success story.
These visionary leaders should know better...
There will be one day, sooner or later, in some shape or format a hefty price to pay.
They have just gone to far....and the general public most know
Hate the cliche but, if you think safety is expensive...
Well done WSJ
Humpty
Above all Emirates management has routinely, consistently, systematically lied to this dedicated workforce, eventually braking the thrust bond.
Emirates shouldn't have broken the thrust bond with its most critically safety sensitive workforce!
This is a Muslim country but these people seem drunk our their own success story.
These visionary leaders should know better...
There will be one day, sooner or later, in some shape or format a hefty price to pay.
They have just gone to far....and the general public most know
Hate the cliche but, if you think safety is expensive...
Well done WSJ
Humpty