BMI mainline pilots made redundant?

[BA_Baracas]

Allow me to clarify something: bmi is not full of pilots who've failed the BA selection process. bmi pilots are, in the main, people who like flying for a smallish, friendly outfit where you can get to know a significant proportion of your pilot and cabin crew colleagues. Those pilots hell-bent on flying big aircraft around the world will have stayed for a while then headed off to Virgin, BA or the desert.

Lets see how many choose to stay on the "nice friendly little fleet" when given the option to move to the big unfriendly fleets then.

[Doug E Style]

Well, BA Baracas, if the Airbus fleet is, as you say, a nice friendly little fleet, then that's where I (and I suspect many others) intend to stay. There are lots of bmi people who want to be at home as many nights as possible; not really compatible with long haul flying. I have heard many people liken the atmosphere at bmi to that of a flying club and for those that do not place money and a big aeroplane at the top of their list, flying an Airbus all over Europe will suit them fine. Obviously there will be many itching to get on a BA widebody and good luck to them all. However, it's not the big draw some people think it is.

[Megaton]

There are lots of bmi people who want to be at home as many nights as possible; not really compatible with long haul flying.

I left short haul for long haul because I wanted more nights at home. Admittedly, I am a commuter so I used to bid for longer tours but even taking that out of the equation I have more days at home since joining a long haul fleet and, no, I'm not too knackered to enjoy them - quite the opposite.

[Anton du Flasheart]

Horses for courses!
You wouldn't enter every horse in the grand national!
There are a few donkeys and mules around too ( in both companies)!!

[Jockster]

When are the T & Cs for the former BMI now BA pilots going to be announced?

[SkyRocket10]

T&C's should be finalised by 1st June, which is when I believe BMI will officially be integrated into BA.

As it stands I understand BMI pilots will not be given the luxury of independant choice. Due to potential litigation issues BA will probably go with the separate sub fleet option with a small percentage of work extracted prior to stage one bidding.

[MrBenip]

I would hardly call that integration. Are you saying we are being bubbled?

[Anton du Flasheart]

That sounds like a bubble to me too......so tell me again, what did the BA guys give up 5% for? I'd ask for it back!

[bex88]

Well BA managers are saying they dont want the bubble scenario. First pilots move to BA on the 14th of this month but it will take over 6 months before bmi is fully integrated. This is stage one of two only. Big picture though, pilots keep their jobs and current t&c's and that is what matters in the short term. To be honest beyond that no one knows.

[Hand Solo]

That sounds like a bubble to me too......so tell me again, what did the BA guys give up 5% for? I'd ask for it back!

As long as it's a shrinking bubble and not a growing bubble then it's worth the 5%.

[Jockster]

Due to potential litigation issues BA will probably go with the separate sub fleet option with a small percentage of work extracted prior to stage one bidding.

What if I would like to bid for the extracted work? I am being dis-advantaged which they (union and management) said I wouldn't be? Please can I have my two days annual leave back?

[Super Stall]

Seeing as there's been no announcement, and there's unlikely to be one for a week or two yet, are we really going to debate this again without the facts?

[max nightstop]

Oh yes, it's such fun to speculate wildly!

Jockster, what do you call a small percentage of work? Wouldn't it be around 30%?

[Jockster]

I didn't mention 'percentage' skyrocket10 did on previous page. But in order not to be disadvantaged no work i.e. 0% should be extracted prior to IB1 bidding.

[Hand Solo]

Depends what the work is. If it's exclusively to former bmi destinations and not to any BA ones (there is little overlap between the networks) have you been disadvantaged?

[max nightstop]

I think some of you may be taking this "disadvantaged" thing a bit to literally!

You could end up with all existing bmi flying only being available to bmi pilots. As it changes to new long haul destinations then they will have to have that too. You can't reduce their 6 week roster notice (TUPE) and you won't let them have BA flying until after IB1. Ergo, they can only have new flying, on whatever aircraft type is on that route.

Sounds like the makings of a deal....

[Doug E Style]

I checked the dictionary and "integrated" and "segregated" are not the same thing. As for "disadvantaged" then a trip to Sierra Leone should help to define that one.

[Hand Solo]

You could end up with all existing bmi flying only being available to bmi pilots.

Possible!

As it changes to new long haul destinations then they will have to have that too.

That doesn't automatically follow. Besides, I suspect a significant number of bmi pilots would prefer to head for the bottom of the BA MSL at the first opportunity rather than mark time at the bottom of a shrinking fleet. bmi might not even have enough pilots in the bubble to fly all their previous work!

You can't reduce their 6 week roster notice (TUPE)

Can't you? TUPE doesn't lock everything in a previous contract in position, ad infinitum. BA have plenty of scope to make justifiable changes. They'd be scrutinised, but TUPE doesn't prevent change. If 6 weeks notice of roster was enforced then BA could simply take a leaf out of bmi's books and just publish a 'roster' six weeks in advance then change it every day!

[MrBenip]

Hand says; As long as it's a shrinking bubble and not a growing bubble then it's worth the 5%.

Well if it that happens you only have yourselves to blame.

[KERDUNKER]

And then like Bmi the whole roster gets block windowed, as per AFS................ gosh this is going to be fun....... all those days of bought.. as per AFS again.