Except Troff the overtime threshold is not in the contract is it? Not that that would mean much anyway:\

42 days leave a year was also in 'the contract'!

Yes, I know it states 30 days being the minimum but why should we have to put up with that especially now that we're working harder than ever. Someone, and we never get to find out who, screws up on the numbers and guess what? Yep, we're made to suffer the consequences. But, when we screw up..........oh yes, we're still made to suffer the consequences. Gotta just love this place. Different day, same sh*t.

Still, look on the brightside. 10 reasons to be optimistic.

1) Summer is coming. (Fact)
2) Those crappy white ford focus saloon cars are in pole position to take over the audi's job.(Strong rumour)
3) No pay rise, only an increment. (My opinion only)
4) About due a sacking of a colleague for some rediculous misdemeanour (Historical data)
5) Rebranding to Emirates Asia due to the huge increase of...er....Asian cabin crew (Observation)
6) Dine on demand for cockpit crew. Available anytime before departure and after arrival. This is to enhance security and limit the opening of the FD door in flight. Any flight over 17.5 hours (summer only) is exempt. (Experience on last flight!)
7) Removal of 1 further crew member for further cost cutting, as if the greedy bar stewards havn't done enough damage taking the two off.(see point 6)
8) Cabin crew uniforms adapted to flight crew by addition of stripes thus saving uniform costs. (Always fancied a skirt)
9) After the success in Bangkok, payment to hundreds of students to wear red tshirts at further EK destinations, thus restricting us to cheaper airport hotels and saving money long term. (Call me cynical)
10) Recruitment drive to begin in earnest. All kindergartens will have a member from the selection team visit them in the classroom and describe the benefits of becoming a pilot for Emirates. 4 year olds will believe almost anything and as their attention span is so short, their interest can be maintained for the very short period it takes to describe the benefits. (Doesn't apply to locals as their list of benefits falls under the official secrets act)

Must learn to not finish a whole bottle of wine each night.

Harry

The change to the overtime t/hold is significant because it allowed the company to roster well into what would have been an expensive additional cost without it costing more than a few hours flying pay -they knew the extra hours would be required, so elected to save themselves 9by rough estimate) 5 million dhs/month.

That has become the new norm and will NEVER change.

The kicker is that the 'new norm', especially on the 330 fleet, is back-breaking. Flying at that rate for a couple of months at a time is doable, even if there is not overtime, but as a regular monthly pattern is not.

It won't change though: the benefits are double -no overtime AND reduced pilot numbers required.

Cabin crew have it even worse - 140 hours is not uncommon and they get NO overtime.

Geez Harry, I thought you were talkin about locals. :p

What is really despicable, and demonstrates to one and all the fact that they will simply say whatever they need, to justify their f#$k-ups, is the following little gem from the rumor buster site.

Kudos to whomever posted this question on the site!
The more voices that query and complain about this the better!

Rumors are circulating that the A340 will loose all of its ULR (Australia) flying this summer and the fleet will be redeployed on EK routes seving Africa, India, and Europe. Productivity pay increased from 78 hours to 92 block hours effective April 1st, 2009 because "Productivity Pay is triggered at too low a level for the existing nature of the [new ULR] routes we operate." REF: DSVPFO/L-001/FEB09 Since there will be no ULR (and few LR routes) on the A330/A340 fleet, the rumor is Productivity Pay will return to "origional contract" values of 70 - 78 block hours. - Question Posted on 25th Jan 2010

Airbus flying will be eliminated in the summer months on Australia routes. However, there is no decision to modify the hourly levels at which Productivity Pay is being earned. Regards, <the talking horse> - System Account

By and large this could be EZY. It seems to be all the same these days no matter which part of the world you are in or who you fly for :ouch: its depressing..!