SIA not renewing 70% Expat Contracts

[jet grande]

SIA is again at it's best. Panic Stations !!! Using the financial crisis to slash expat contracts.
They have been calling the expats whose contracts are up for renewal in 3 months and telling them that they will not be renewing at least 70% of those contracts as SIA is entering the "Cutting the Fat" mode.
The irony is that some of these pilots have received very recently a "Long Service Award" and a medal for the "loyalty" to the company to be told a month later that they will have to go.... What an absolute gutless outfit.... Yes all the expats in SIA must be afraid.. very afraid... their contracts are not worth the ink they are written , never mind the paper !!
SIA is at the moment retrenching the pilots whose contracts are up for renewal so that they can avoid compensation pay, but they might change their minds and start retrenching others. Remember, the contract is only valid for 3 months.
In the meantime while this retrenchment is going on they are still training new Captains . Doesn't make any sense !! SIA has ceased to be a safe and secure job....

[Mr Pilot 2007]

I see another thread on here about sia cadets from india. Someone posted they are not takingon these recruits now but are looking for CPL holders from india.

Is this the start of a shift in there workforce for reasons we can only speculate as to why.

[Metro man]

Expat contracts are fixed term and provide additional benefits compared to local terms, such as housing and school fees. If the contracted period is coming to an end the company decides not to renew they are perfectly within their rights, as would the pilot be if he got a better offer somewhere else.

Expats are a means of coping with changing requirements, easy come, easy go and paid above the odds to take this into account. Pilots in India are finding the same thing.

SIA offer local terms with less benefits but greater security. The expensive expats will be the first to go in any downturn, once things pick up again more expats will be employed with better conditions than the locals.

If you want a secure job with SIA, take local terms.

[Ndicho Moja]

Metro Man, well said. Precise and to the point. I am a contracting pilot in the S.E. Asian region and we are just that, contractors. When the contract is due for renewal EITHER party can say thank but no thanks. Should there be a change of minds they/we will advertise/make ourselves known at the appropriate time. Contractors are NOT employees in the traditional sense. Loyalty plays a very small part. Its is an exchange of money for labour. No work no pay/ no pay no work.

Here endeth the lesson.

[Flaperon777]

I think jet grande has a very valid point.There's the letter of the law and the spirit of it!
No doubt these expats due for extensions must be aware of their t & c's.But do remember,a mercenary is not one by choice.A pilot,albiet a contractual one,always wants to grow his roots somewhere.And if one is due for retirment,thats probably where one would want to settle down post retirment.....
I think SIA should show maturity(as it always has),retain this experience,and build on it for its productive future.After all this downturn is'nt going to last forever......
My two cents worth.

[411A]

I think SIA should show maturity(as it always has)...

It has....?
Sorry, you are sadly mistaken.
SQ has always had knee-jerk reactions to expat air crew continued employment, and always will.

It has happened many times before, and certainly will again.
In my particular case (a very long time ago) I decided to move on elsewhere before the ax fell, and the monetary rewards in doing so were quite good indeed.

SQ is simply a pit stop toward a very rewarding career.... elsewhere.

[jet grande]

local terms

Just a small reminder to MetroMan and Ndicho Moja: If it wasn't for the the "expensive expats" the locals in SIA would be on a pay scale similar to Garuda or Malaysia . You are only where you are today, thanks to the expats.....
You must be from managment or worse from ALPA-S...
the only lesson is that SIA is not a reliable employer .
To confirm this go back to what SIA did to some of the OBS pilots when it renewed their contracts for 3 years and 3 months after renewal retrenched them.

[winglet_fever]

As for the OBS pilots, have you heard about the payout SIA gave? Which other company in the world would do that?

Great to list facts, but stay on the line.

[southernmtn]

It is obvious jg has an attitude problem.

[Sonic69]

IMHO, Metro man and Ndicho Moja got it right. The only reason expat contracts exist is for temporary requirements. Contract renewal is not an obligation, if the company continues to require your services, they will offer a new contract, up to you to accept.

I think arguments along the lines of "if it wasn't for expat pilots.........." shows immaturity. You were contracted for a job, you did the job well, thank you very much. Here's your pay according to what we agreed in the contract. Unfortunately, we will not be requiring your services any longer and therefore will not be offering you a new contract when the current one expires. We hope you had a pleasant stay and wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Nobody got stiffed. What's there to gripe about?

[etops777]

Some just never realised that they were only providing the service as a "contractor".

[perantau]

Not just SIA - if it really came to the crunch, and some have to be made redundant, who should go first? End-of-term contractors or those on local terms?

[jet grande]

All of above arguments just validates the original posting: SIA is not a safe bet for expats.
I am sure that all the expats in SIA are looking at these retrenchments and evaluating their future options. Merit or loyalty play no part whatsoever on their future prospects in SIA . Just need to be a local to qualify for job security !

[on_the_right]

jet_grande,
well yes, glad the basics of contract work have finally struck you !

[James' Bro]

All of above arguments just validates the original posting: SIA is not a safe bet for expats.

Jet Grande,

Why are you here in the first place? No job in your motherland?
..and why are you pissing and mourning when your contract is up? again no job in your motherland ?

Get real !

[Flaperon777]

Hey Bro,
No need to get personal here.......
Lets stick to the topic at hand shall we.......

[etops777]

One should understand the principles of a contract job.

[rdr]

Too many of you big talkers in SQ.
When SARS hit, you shat in your pants till 16 locals walked out.
They slapped the old man and a few of his imbeciles in their face and kept their honour.
Then when it came to the R Goh fiasco, again all shat another time in their pants and waited for it to pass.
It appears that now, another round of bravado, and, another round of ****ting in your pants.
Look, cut the crap and get real. Its every man for himself.

[B747-800]

last week a mate of mine got from SQ his new contract proposal as expat and to his surprise all expat benefits (housing, schooling, home leave etc.) had been removed and the proposed contract was the same as the local pilots are getting.

so the rumors are true: get the fat of the expats!

[777heavy]

Every man for himself eh rdr? You sound like a real team player. Surely you are not a pilot? God help us all if you are. You need an attitude change, I only wish I knew who you were so I could give you one