GA Award - overdue time for an increas!
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GA Award - overdue time for an increas!
Looking back through my pay advice slips shows that it must be about three years since I saw an increase in the GA Pilots Award.
Perhaps now would be a good time for the AFAP to commence the process of getting an increase on the roll - small as it always is.
I have found that over the last year the cost of everything has gone up - except the dollars in my pay packet.
Politicians, business CEOs' and GA execs seem to have no problem in getting a rise, why not us at the coal face ?
No, I do not subscribe to that tired old expression 'The industry cannot afford it'.
If you were to tell the car builders that they should take a pay cut in order to allow more cars to be sold see what sort of uproar that would bring.
Likewise should we as Charter pilots and Instructors continue to be paid lowly wages just in order to let more business flourish - after having spent truly enormous sums, not to mention time, to gain the qualifications that allow us to fly (read work).
The answer is a simple NO !
It is also way past the time when a new formula should be used to work out what pay a GA pilot should receive.
The current formula, based on weight, is unrealistic and could not have been put together with the input of a working GA pilot.
Added to that is that the current GA award is not user friendly. It is very hard to interpret by a layman and indeed two operators on the same airport can interpret it two ways and pay pilots different amounts for doing the same work.
I also have to question should an award have to exist ?
University and business graduates are not paid 'by award' but by merit and qualifications. And the list of qualifications required to do even a simple joyride are rising.
Should we be looking at something similar for pilots. A realistic return for a days work - flown or not. And let us not have that old red herring of 'casual' be used to try and knock down our wage needs.
Remember, McDonalds and David Jones do not pay their counter staff commission on the sales made. And as many pilots will be aware the junior admin staff at many aviation firms, doing a 9 to 5, M to F week, earn more than the pilots.
True, a rise may put some businesses out of work in which case you have to ask should they have been there in the first place, at our expense.
Perhaps there should be a very realistic minimum pay schedule and then pilots should be paid by qualifications, experience and time served.
I keep reading in the media of pay rises for the lowly paid in Australia but somehow those pay rises never seem to filter down to me.
Now may be the time for the media to investigate the aviation industry and reveal how pilots have to spend vast sums to gain qualifications that return a paupers pittance, and everyone says nothing.
Forget the employer who says "I am letting you work for me (for a pittance) so that you can get those valuable hours required for you to get that well paid airline job. I am doing you a big favour".
This is jusy plain crass crap and insult to our intelligence.
History would show us that the number of working CPLs' who make airlines is at best 1 or 2 out of a 100.
GA pilots are ovedue for a pay rise and a substantial rise at that.
I say now is the time for action !
Perhaps now would be a good time for the AFAP to commence the process of getting an increase on the roll - small as it always is.
I have found that over the last year the cost of everything has gone up - except the dollars in my pay packet.
Politicians, business CEOs' and GA execs seem to have no problem in getting a rise, why not us at the coal face ?
No, I do not subscribe to that tired old expression 'The industry cannot afford it'.
If you were to tell the car builders that they should take a pay cut in order to allow more cars to be sold see what sort of uproar that would bring.
Likewise should we as Charter pilots and Instructors continue to be paid lowly wages just in order to let more business flourish - after having spent truly enormous sums, not to mention time, to gain the qualifications that allow us to fly (read work).
The answer is a simple NO !
It is also way past the time when a new formula should be used to work out what pay a GA pilot should receive.
The current formula, based on weight, is unrealistic and could not have been put together with the input of a working GA pilot.
Added to that is that the current GA award is not user friendly. It is very hard to interpret by a layman and indeed two operators on the same airport can interpret it two ways and pay pilots different amounts for doing the same work.
I also have to question should an award have to exist ?
University and business graduates are not paid 'by award' but by merit and qualifications. And the list of qualifications required to do even a simple joyride are rising.
Should we be looking at something similar for pilots. A realistic return for a days work - flown or not. And let us not have that old red herring of 'casual' be used to try and knock down our wage needs.
Remember, McDonalds and David Jones do not pay their counter staff commission on the sales made. And as many pilots will be aware the junior admin staff at many aviation firms, doing a 9 to 5, M to F week, earn more than the pilots.
True, a rise may put some businesses out of work in which case you have to ask should they have been there in the first place, at our expense.
Perhaps there should be a very realistic minimum pay schedule and then pilots should be paid by qualifications, experience and time served.
I keep reading in the media of pay rises for the lowly paid in Australia but somehow those pay rises never seem to filter down to me.
Now may be the time for the media to investigate the aviation industry and reveal how pilots have to spend vast sums to gain qualifications that return a paupers pittance, and everyone says nothing.
Forget the employer who says "I am letting you work for me (for a pittance) so that you can get those valuable hours required for you to get that well paid airline job. I am doing you a big favour".
This is jusy plain crass crap and insult to our intelligence.
History would show us that the number of working CPLs' who make airlines is at best 1 or 2 out of a 100.
GA pilots are ovedue for a pay rise and a substantial rise at that.
I say now is the time for action !
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Curtiss, the GA Award was amended on the 4th April 2003 to reflect the Safety Net Review - Wages increase. This variation can be found at http://www.wagenet.gov.au/wagenet/Se...()&quickview=Y
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Bitter Balance
Thank you for the comment but in my neck of the woods there has been no pay increase at the firm that I work with nor have any of the pilots around me received any 'increase' either.
CJ.
Thank you for the comment but in my neck of the woods there has been no pay increase at the firm that I work with nor have any of the pilots around me received any 'increase' either.
CJ.
You are paid over the Award 
= you do not necessarily receive the safety net adjustment.
You are paid the Award
= you received the safety net adjustment.
You are paid less than the Award
= talk to your local Industrial Relations Inspector.
= you do not necessarily receive the safety net adjustment.You are paid the Award
= you received the safety net adjustment.You are paid less than the Award
= talk to your local Industrial Relations Inspector.
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Guys
If you want an example of deregulation and Individual (as opposed to collective) Employment Contracts at work, you do not have far to look. Perfect examples in NZ. Most of the guys working in GA there would (almost!) KILL to be under a collective award contract such as you have in OZ. A word to the wise: DO NOT REINVENT THE WHEEL!
You have a working collective agreement here now. Vary it by all means to meet changing conditions, equipment, training & experience levels (not all-inclusive) but by all thats holy DO NOT bin it.
GA in NZ at the point is definitely the most over-regulated, under-rewarded industry in the country. Employers & Pilots alike are abused by an administrative & regulatory body that thinks all industry participants are desperately keen to make a small fortune out of a large one as soon as possible. Exorbitant unrealistic charges are the norm. The Employers though have the ability to protect their earnings... if they ever get their ****e together and work together instead of simply doing their damndest to screw one-another over by any and all means available.
Pilots however just get screwed over by everyone. Government, Regulator, Industry, Employer and (least palatable of all) THEIR PEERS.
Message here really is simple guys. There's going to be beggar-all "cake" to go 'round until we ALL get our act together & work responsibly for the benefit of all.
If you want an example of deregulation and Individual (as opposed to collective) Employment Contracts at work, you do not have far to look. Perfect examples in NZ. Most of the guys working in GA there would (almost!) KILL to be under a collective award contract such as you have in OZ. A word to the wise: DO NOT REINVENT THE WHEEL!
You have a working collective agreement here now. Vary it by all means to meet changing conditions, equipment, training & experience levels (not all-inclusive) but by all thats holy DO NOT bin it.
GA in NZ at the point is definitely the most over-regulated, under-rewarded industry in the country. Employers & Pilots alike are abused by an administrative & regulatory body that thinks all industry participants are desperately keen to make a small fortune out of a large one as soon as possible. Exorbitant unrealistic charges are the norm. The Employers though have the ability to protect their earnings... if they ever get their ****e together and work together instead of simply doing their damndest to screw one-another over by any and all means available.
Pilots however just get screwed over by everyone. Government, Regulator, Industry, Employer and (least palatable of all) THEIR PEERS.
Message here really is simple guys. There's going to be beggar-all "cake" to go 'round until we ALL get our act together & work responsibly for the benefit of all.
award
I have always thought that if it was a bit more realistic that more people would respect/pay it. All the little add ons for this and that...
..it's a full time job trying to keep pace. Decrease the addons, increase the yearly rate to adjust.
..it's a full time job trying to keep pace. Decrease the addons, increase the yearly rate to adjust.
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Supply and demand.
Keep pumping out thousands of CPL's every year and what do you get.....?
Make it tougher to get the licence with aptitude tests and so on like in the UK and eventually things will become a lttle more realistic.
The reality is that if your boss pays you, you are doing well for he could replace you in a second.
Thats just how it is
Keep pumping out thousands of CPL's every year and what do you get.....?
Make it tougher to get the licence with aptitude tests and so on like in the UK and eventually things will become a lttle more realistic.
The reality is that if your boss pays you, you are doing well for he could replace you in a second.
Thats just how it is
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Try here.
Curtis the award has been increased the last two years running, from memory. Perhaps you should be keeping track of it and bring it to your employers attention.
http://www.osiris.gov.au/html/awards/1/AW792332/top.htm
Curtis the award has been increased the last two years running, from memory. Perhaps you should be keeping track of it and bring it to your employers attention.
http://www.osiris.gov.au/html/awards/1/AW792332/top.htm
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Award? What is the award? 
I've never been paid close to the award - these days your lucky just to have a job. Like Mr Hat said - supply and demand! The operators know if you don't like it they can replace you before the day is over. Until we stick together nothing will change.
I agree a little media attention on the issue would be great. The public perception of pilots is that we are all over paid, educated idiots who turn the autopilot on and let it do the work anyway. I recently had a pax who was p and m-ing about his 60K salary, he felt he should be on more because he was university educated and extensively trained. I told him that I too was in that category and asked him to guess my salary. When he said 80K I p!ssed myself laughing and asked if he thought that was all I was worth. I then proceeded to inform him it was closer to the 25K mark and perhaps he should tell his sorry tale to someone else.
Where's Derren Hinch when you need him?
PandM
What is the award? I've never been paid close to the award - these days your lucky just to have a job. Like Mr Hat said - supply and demand! The operators know if you don't like it they can replace you before the day is over. Until we stick together nothing will change.
I agree a little media attention on the issue would be great. The public perception of pilots is that we are all over paid, educated idiots who turn the autopilot on and let it do the work anyway. I recently had a pax who was p and m-ing about his 60K salary, he felt he should be on more because he was university educated and extensively trained. I told him that I too was in that category and asked him to guess my salary. When he said 80K I p!ssed myself laughing and asked if he thought that was all I was worth. I then proceeded to inform him it was closer to the 25K mark and perhaps he should tell his sorry tale to someone else.
Where's Derren Hinch when you need him?
PandM
Last edited by pandm; 29th Aug 2003 at 12:57.
Ace
Don't get excited re the number of respondents to the award!
A heck of a lot of them are long gone and a lot of current mobs don't get a mention!
Don't get excited re the number of respondents to the award!
A heck of a lot of them are long gone and a lot of current mobs don't get a mention!
Is there a way to maybe take our argument to the people who set our award?
I am slowly becoming less enthusiastic about my job as the years roll by as a result of the disgraceful pay packet waiting for me at the end of each week.
I have friends who are working unskilled jobs and earning triple what I earn and I consider myself to be in a skilled profession. It is pathetic!!
I am slowly becoming less enthusiastic about my job as the years roll by as a result of the disgraceful pay packet waiting for me at the end of each week.
I have friends who are working unskilled jobs and earning triple what I earn and I consider myself to be in a skilled profession. It is pathetic!!
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Like Pandm and Mr Hat said, the award really isn't worth the paper it's printed on if employers can pay you whatever they like regardless of whether or not they are respondents to an award.
(been there)
I'm assuming there's a pilots union floating around somewhere, is there a GA pilots union rep around who'd care to comment?
(been there)
I'm assuming there's a pilots union floating around somewhere, is there a GA pilots union rep around who'd care to comment?
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Pay Increases ?
Gottem 2 Dollar, you asked.... "Does anyone think the current GA climate could withstand pay increases,Not that im saying the award is great, but with a over regulated industry can GA survive?"
Unfortunately I am old enough to recall the drama when the first award hit the industry. Predictably the operators cried poor and said the industry would never survive.
Well the industry survived, and grew, because people and freight still needed to be shifted and using aeroplanes was still the best way to do it, even if you had to pay the pilots. That was approximately 30 years ago.
If you could just stop the deluded from prostituting themselves flying for shonky operators that only pay pilots by the hour to fly cross hired aeroplanes, then reputable operators would be able to pay more, both to their pilots and their shareholders.
Unfortunately I am old enough to recall the drama when the first award hit the industry. Predictably the operators cried poor and said the industry would never survive.
Well the industry survived, and grew, because people and freight still needed to be shifted and using aeroplanes was still the best way to do it, even if you had to pay the pilots. That was approximately 30 years ago.
If you could just stop the deluded from prostituting themselves flying for shonky operators that only pay pilots by the hour to fly cross hired aeroplanes, then reputable operators would be able to pay more, both to their pilots and their shareholders.
