BA Flight Crew and the Absence Management Procedure
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Out of the blue
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Where is it written that for a company to be successfully lead you have to be nasty, manipulative and devious with your workforce?
I truly believe the Prince of Darkness actually gets off on the hope of decimating our jobs, stealing our pensions, and consigning our profession to the realm of blue collar machine operatives.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: LHR
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Said Captain was, it is alleged, told by his manager that he had made a "career-ending decision" and was to be suspended on the spot, later reversed amid much backtracking by BA, but you get the picture.
The phrase "Manage him/her out of the Company" was attributed to him on more than one occasion.
The unfortunate individual so targetted would find ultimately that they had no option but to leave or fell over with stress. A policy pursued highly effectively with elected Balpa reps on the company Council might one add.
So, if you get sick, expect to be "managed out of the company" by these nice people.
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: EGLL
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Unfortunately there are a lot of companies applying rules like this, it seems to be the new trend. I understand the logic behind it but it should not apply to certain responsible professions such as Pilots, Controllers, Doctors, Nurses etc. Due to the nature of the aforementioned professions, it is safety critical that they are fit for duty. For the aviation profession it is against the law to work whilst feeling unwell. What next, will the Police start boarding a/c to see if the pilot has a cold and under the weather, and then if so will they be prosecuted.
I think that this should be released to the general public to show that aviation professionals are being pressurised to work whilst unfit and in fear of their jobs.
Scenario: Pilot under the weather, Controller under the weather, both under pressure as on last warning, a couple of little mistakes, major accident, hundreds of lives lost.
Wait for the accident to happen and then change procedures rather than stop the accident happening is the view of the management.
Surely it is less expensive to pay a pilot/atco a days wage to cover sickness rather than sacking someone and advertising for/training a replacement.
The profession is now undermined, belittled and not respected. Regardless of the training, medical requirements and professionalism of the staff we are still treat badly with no regard to safety.
The CAA/SRG will not do anything about this and if anyone is to blame it should be them. I think it is professional negligence on their behalf not to address such an issue. It is also up to BALPA & GATCO to do something about it. We'll see.
Rgds
ILS 119.5
I think that this should be released to the general public to show that aviation professionals are being pressurised to work whilst unfit and in fear of their jobs.
Scenario: Pilot under the weather, Controller under the weather, both under pressure as on last warning, a couple of little mistakes, major accident, hundreds of lives lost.
Wait for the accident to happen and then change procedures rather than stop the accident happening is the view of the management.
Surely it is less expensive to pay a pilot/atco a days wage to cover sickness rather than sacking someone and advertising for/training a replacement.
The profession is now undermined, belittled and not respected. Regardless of the training, medical requirements and professionalism of the staff we are still treat badly with no regard to safety.
The CAA/SRG will not do anything about this and if anyone is to blame it should be them. I think it is professional negligence on their behalf not to address such an issue. It is also up to BALPA & GATCO to do something about it. We'll see.
Rgds
ILS 119.5
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Birmingham
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The thing is here that the idiots who dream up these policies (doubtless spotty youths fresh from business school with shiny MBAs or accounting diplomas) are taking safety forgranted. Most of these kids were in prams at the time of Kegworth and there has been no incident involving major loss of life in recent memory in the UK. Thank God.
The result is that our profession is being pressed and pressed to extract more juice from the pith and sooner or later something is going to happen to remind everyone that we operate in a hostile and unforgiving element with no hard shoulder.
The managers who espouse these policies (many of them pilots themselves who should know better) will have the blood of the deceased on their hands by pressurising unfit pilots to go to work. That is exactly what the policy does and it loads the dice of fate one roll closer to avoidable disaster.
It is bad enough that PC politically correct idiot plod breathalises pilots for executing a go around. He at least has the excuse that he got his helmet and badge after attending a course for a few weeks. Our mangers have no such excuse.
Balpa needs to tackle this head on and not take prisoners.
The result is that our profession is being pressed and pressed to extract more juice from the pith and sooner or later something is going to happen to remind everyone that we operate in a hostile and unforgiving element with no hard shoulder.
The managers who espouse these policies (many of them pilots themselves who should know better) will have the blood of the deceased on their hands by pressurising unfit pilots to go to work. That is exactly what the policy does and it loads the dice of fate one roll closer to avoidable disaster.
It is bad enough that PC politically correct idiot plod breathalises pilots for executing a go around. He at least has the excuse that he got his helmet and badge after attending a course for a few weeks. Our mangers have no such excuse.
Balpa needs to tackle this head on and not take prisoners.
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
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Tinytim
I suspect that HR Dept would be the instigators of such policies, thats if BA HR is like the HR we have at the airline i work for.
The usual line at pay rise time is also Company X pays its Pilots Y so we can pay you Y or less. Great idea and how about HR getting paid the same as Company X !!! - YEAH VERY UNLIKELY THEY HAVE NO IDEA aaagh
I suspect that HR Dept would be the instigators of such policies, thats if BA HR is like the HR we have at the airline i work for.
The usual line at pay rise time is also Company X pays its Pilots Y so we can pay you Y or less. Great idea and how about HR getting paid the same as Company X !!! - YEAH VERY UNLIKELY THEY HAVE NO IDEA aaagh
BOAC
Don't know what policy was at place in LGW 5 years back but certainly under the current 2004 scheme you ignore letters and interviews at your peril. "EG" whatever it's called has set a whole series of hurdles for pilots to trip over and when one is invited to an interview it's best not to forget to attend- it would seem to be a good idea to take a prisoners friend, er Union rep, along as well.
Don't know what policy was at place in LGW 5 years back but certainly under the current 2004 scheme you ignore letters and interviews at your peril. "EG" whatever it's called has set a whole series of hurdles for pilots to trip over and when one is invited to an interview it's best not to forget to attend- it would seem to be a good idea to take a prisoners friend, er Union rep, along as well.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: oxfordshire. uk
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management and health and safety
Are you aware that a Bill is about to be discussed in Parliament on 4th March? It concerns Directors Duties in Health and Safety. The Centre for Corporate Accountability which investigates and prosecutes where there has been a work-related death has invited people to send the following letter to their MPs.
DRAFT LETTER
[your address]
Health and Safety (Directors’ Duties) Bill- A Private Members Bill promoted by Stephen Hepburn MP
I am writing to encourage you to support the second reading to the Health and Safety Directors Duties Bill, sponsored by Stpehen Hepburn MO - which is coming before parliament on 4th March.
[personal note about who you are]
This Bill seeks to introduce a duty on all directors to take “reasonable steps” to ensure that their company is complying with health and safety law. It is intended to fill a gap in the law since at the moment directors have no positive duties in relation to health and safety.
The Bill has wide support amongst health and safety charities, lawyers, trade unions and amongst families bereaved after work-related deaths.
We are concerned that the law as it stands places no positive legal duties on company directors with regard to health and safety. In the past year workplace deaths rose by 4%- at total of 235 workers died at work. The number of workers injured at work has also risen (up 9% on the previous year) with 30,666 workers suffering major injuries.
The existing voluntary regime which encourages directors to take positive action is failing and statutory measures are now needed.
Please help to reduce the numbers of deaths and injured by backing Stephen Hepburn’s Bill and attending the second reading debate in the Commons on Friday March 4th, 2005.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For further information see http://www.corporateaccountability.org
[your name]
DRAFT LETTER
[your address]
Health and Safety (Directors’ Duties) Bill- A Private Members Bill promoted by Stephen Hepburn MP
I am writing to encourage you to support the second reading to the Health and Safety Directors Duties Bill, sponsored by Stpehen Hepburn MO - which is coming before parliament on 4th March.
[personal note about who you are]
This Bill seeks to introduce a duty on all directors to take “reasonable steps” to ensure that their company is complying with health and safety law. It is intended to fill a gap in the law since at the moment directors have no positive duties in relation to health and safety.
The Bill has wide support amongst health and safety charities, lawyers, trade unions and amongst families bereaved after work-related deaths.
We are concerned that the law as it stands places no positive legal duties on company directors with regard to health and safety. In the past year workplace deaths rose by 4%- at total of 235 workers died at work. The number of workers injured at work has also risen (up 9% on the previous year) with 30,666 workers suffering major injuries.
The existing voluntary regime which encourages directors to take positive action is failing and statutory measures are now needed.
Please help to reduce the numbers of deaths and injured by backing Stephen Hepburn’s Bill and attending the second reading debate in the Commons on Friday March 4th, 2005.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For further information see http://www.corporateaccountability.org
[your name]
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: England
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Would you Like an Article Written?
I write articles (mainly on aviation safety & security aspects) for a well known Aviation Mag and I'm thinking of addressing this subject..... blow the lid off it so to speak (and maybe make them a little more honest up there in the BA HandbrakeHouse).
If anybody feels sufficiently motivated to contribute some sentiments you could write me at the following email address (replace hash marks with ampersand (@) - there to keep the spammers at bay). We're quite widely read and I know that BA Management subscribe so I'm sure they'd feel the incisive thrust of the thrust and parry, particularly if other journo's were then to pick up and probe.
james.smith##iinet.net.au
I'd need to present both sides (assuming there are two and it's not multi-faceted because of the medi-scamming scamps that have been mentioned already - and who are present in any profession).
In fact if there are any other drums that you (out there) would like to beat on any aviation safety topic, please feel free to vent in my direction.
TheShadow
If anybody feels sufficiently motivated to contribute some sentiments you could write me at the following email address (replace hash marks with ampersand (@) - there to keep the spammers at bay). We're quite widely read and I know that BA Management subscribe so I'm sure they'd feel the incisive thrust of the thrust and parry, particularly if other journo's were then to pick up and probe.
james.smith##iinet.net.au
I'd need to present both sides (assuming there are two and it's not multi-faceted because of the medi-scamming scamps that have been mentioned already - and who are present in any profession).
In fact if there are any other drums that you (out there) would like to beat on any aviation safety topic, please feel free to vent in my direction.
TheShadow
