Thomson Recruiting
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cloud Cookoo Land
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thomson is a good airline, don't get me wrong. The package offered on the PPY deal wasn't that bad. The 7K training deduction stank, however given the right base under the right circumstances, the deal appeared appealing to those wanting to build something with a reputable carrier. It could have been regarded as a step above the regular garbage that is on offer within the UK at the moment. Their CC appeared to a fought pretty hard to maintain something in line with what is currently available at Thomson.
If you leave a job on the bases that some nice HR lady has smiled sweetly and suggested that there is a possibly of a permanent position then you need your head felt. I don't care who the airline is.
If you leave a job on the bases that some nice HR lady has smiled sweetly and suggested that there is a possibly of a permanent position then you need your head felt. I don't care who the airline is.
Last edited by Callsign Kilo; 2nd Dec 2012 at 10:37.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: London
Age: 41
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If they only need crew for the summer then why not offer permanent 7 month on 5 off contracts? Surely that would tempt a few guys away from full time contracts? Otherwise they will only get the people who are desperate for the job rather than the ones who really want it!
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MAN
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Guys,
lets just be clear on the facts here as things are getting distorted. The 10 or so fixed term positions are in ADDITION to the 30 PPY positions on offer.
They have come about through an extra line of flying at LBA for summer 2013 only. The LBA flying ceases at end of Oct 13, and its then down to commercial as to whether the LBA line will continue in summer 14. Some of the LBA flying will most likely be covered by crews from other bases on W patterns are being bussed in top operate. Therefore, the notional 10 fixed term contracts don't all necessarily have to be based in LBA.
The CC attempted a number of initiatives to ensure this work was flown by TOM PPY new recruits and/or cadets under the new TOM scheme. These were not accepted by the company.
Anyone joining TOM needs to understand that this is an Airline that has been subject to much change since the merger in 2008 and that change will carry on for some time more I suspect.
DH
lets just be clear on the facts here as things are getting distorted. The 10 or so fixed term positions are in ADDITION to the 30 PPY positions on offer.
They have come about through an extra line of flying at LBA for summer 2013 only. The LBA flying ceases at end of Oct 13, and its then down to commercial as to whether the LBA line will continue in summer 14. Some of the LBA flying will most likely be covered by crews from other bases on W patterns are being bussed in top operate. Therefore, the notional 10 fixed term contracts don't all necessarily have to be based in LBA.
The CC attempted a number of initiatives to ensure this work was flown by TOM PPY new recruits and/or cadets under the new TOM scheme. These were not accepted by the company.
Anyone joining TOM needs to understand that this is an Airline that has been subject to much change since the merger in 2008 and that change will carry on for some time more I suspect.
DH
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cloud Cookoo Land
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No one is in dispute about PPY not being offered. However what differentiates between a person being offered PPY and fixed term, especially when everyone who attended and then passed the assessment believed the offer would relate to the former?
Unless Thomson has assessed unemployed 737NG rated pilots then they are likely to be left short in FOs come summer. PPY was the agenda, for the 10 or greater that may have been offered fixed term, the agenda has been altered. Secondly, a person offered fixed term was given a choice between LBA, CWL or NCL; so it stretches beyond a seasonal fixture at Leeds.
To me something doesn't add up in all of this. I think it is an understatement suggesting TOM is an airline subject to much change!
Unless Thomson has assessed unemployed 737NG rated pilots then they are likely to be left short in FOs come summer. PPY was the agenda, for the 10 or greater that may have been offered fixed term, the agenda has been altered. Secondly, a person offered fixed term was given a choice between LBA, CWL or NCL; so it stretches beyond a seasonal fixture at Leeds.
To me something doesn't add up in all of this. I think it is an understatement suggesting TOM is an airline subject to much change!
Last edited by Callsign Kilo; 2nd Dec 2012 at 17:17.
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: 35000ft
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Secondly, a person offered fixed term was given a choice between LBA, CWL or NCL; so it stretches beyond a seasonal fixture at Leeds.
Do not expect extensions or offer of further employment following this contract, there is a cadet scheme for further requirements. Make any choices based on this and nothing else.
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: uk
Age: 37
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I attended interview because I was under the impression a PPY job was being offered. Whilst I do feel slightly like I've been missold something, I'm hardly surprised its happened.
I also know that the offering of a fixed term contract was on the cards before or during the last round of selection, so it's not something they have thought of in the past week or two.
Thomson don't owe me anything, it's market forces fellas. Anyone in FR looking to jump ship and moaning about terms and conditions needs to take a long think about what could have possibly caused the industries terms to decline so quickly one recent years
As I've said I can't accept a fixed term contract but will quite happily tread water for some time if it means eventually getting a permanent contract, although I'm doubtful this will come to fruition now.
I also know that the offering of a fixed term contract was on the cards before or during the last round of selection, so it's not something they have thought of in the past week or two.
Thomson don't owe me anything, it's market forces fellas. Anyone in FR looking to jump ship and moaning about terms and conditions needs to take a long think about what could have possibly caused the industries terms to decline so quickly one recent years
As I've said I can't accept a fixed term contract but will quite happily tread water for some time if it means eventually getting a permanent contract, although I'm doubtful this will come to fruition now.
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: EU
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ah, so it's acceptable for Thomson and Easyjet to use fixed term summer contractors because FR are scallywags?
No, sorry, but for far too long we've heard the holier than thou attitude from the likes of Thomson and now they also decide to wag their scallies and we should excuse them because 'it's just market forces'?
Naturally, if FR didn't exist everyone would be paid £100k, have a nice fat pension and the airline industry would be chipper....
No, sorry, but for far too long we've heard the holier than thou attitude from the likes of Thomson and now they also decide to wag their scallies and we should excuse them because 'it's just market forces'?
Naturally, if FR didn't exist everyone would be paid £100k, have a nice fat pension and the airline industry would be chipper....
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Earth
Posts: 335
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It would be more of a consideration if they never had cadets arriving in 2014 who will replace the fixed term positions. To give up a full time position for so much uncertainty would be madness.
Last edited by McBruce; 30th Jan 2013 at 19:29.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cloud Cookoo Land
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No one in current permanent employment will take fixed term, and i'm not being disrespectful to TOM; no one would for ANY airline. HR must know this, they aren't daft; but have probably decided to play a game of 'suck it and see.' If someone does take it and considers the 'possibility' of a permanent contract as a worthy criteria for acceptance then I would have serious concern about how they approach risk assessment. Much like BA, I'd imagine Thomson are retaining numerous positions for low cost cadets and will take this option over any.
I would imagine you'll see the roles advertised with Parc, Storm, Zenon etc imminently. If they had advertised these positions as a mixture of PPY and fixed term it would have saved them the bother and possibly added a little hope for the unemployed baby FO's who would have been more inclined to take fixed term if they were still without work. But they aren't NG rated of course
I would imagine you'll see the roles advertised with Parc, Storm, Zenon etc imminently. If they had advertised these positions as a mixture of PPY and fixed term it would have saved them the bother and possibly added a little hope for the unemployed baby FO's who would have been more inclined to take fixed term if they were still without work. But they aren't NG rated of course
Last edited by Callsign Kilo; 3rd Dec 2012 at 11:41.
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Earth
Posts: 335
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Could TOM approach the agencies? I assume this would require CC input? They now have a fresh pool of rated NG pilots with good experience and currency ready to go with a proper offer.
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In the real world
Posts: 377
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
monkey, the PPY contracts are on an incremental scale, I forget the details. However on top of that the scales are subject to annual pay reviews and 99% of the time rise in relation to inflation.
The usual game is the CC ask for RPI + 15%, the company suggest RPI minus 3% and they usually meet somewhere around RPI plus a bit.
The usual game is the CC ask for RPI + 15%, the company suggest RPI minus 3% and they usually meet somewhere around RPI plus a bit.
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As commented in other posts, the recruitment was carried out for PPY jobs at various bases. These are permanent positions. I was supposed to go to Luton to conduct a recruitment day recently, but it was cancelled at the last minute...don't know why. With regard to the other offer of temporary contracts, these are over and above the requirement for permanent contracts and relate to an extra aircrafts worth of work out of Leeds for next summer. Originally this was going to be operated by another operator but has now been brought in house. Until such time as the Company decide whether this will continue beyond next summer they are planning to use contract pilots for this summer only. Other additional flying has been secured out of Edinburgh, and this will be operated by a sister airline Sunwing (Canadian) which is part of the TUI group. We currently send pilots and aircraft out to Canada in our quieter winter season which is their peak time, and they then have a reciprocal arrangement in our busy summer season when they are quiet in Canada. In the past they have operated out of Ireland, but for next summer will crew this programme out of Edinburgh.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: The Shire
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@DasHead
So what is/could be the reasoning behind offering the temp gigs whilst only 18 PPY's in total have been offered? And more importantly, why offer them to the guys who applied for PPY? and to quote the nice young lady from my assessment day..."you may see some fixed term positions advertised later this year but they won't effect you"? I'd like to think that it really is "we are still working on our establishment requirements for next year", but I fear it may be a cheap trick, stop gap, fill-a-void scenario whilst TOM wait for cheaper cadets for 2014??? But then again I am a conspiracy theorist 
Guys,
lets just be clear on the facts here as things are getting distorted. The 10 or so fixed term positions are in ADDITION to the 30 PPY positions on offer.
lets just be clear on the facts here as things are getting distorted. The 10 or so fixed term positions are in ADDITION to the 30 PPY positions on offer.
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nine forks
Indeed, apologies if my post was misleading. The EDI work to be done by Sunwing is in addition to their regular Irish operation. There are rumblings from Transport Canada that any reciprocal flying should be on a "one for one" basis. At the moment our crews fly a lot more work in Canada than Sunwing do here, so the argument could be made for using Sunwing for the likes of the LBA work as well rather than contract pilots, in order to protect the number of crews and aircraft currently sent to Canada in the winter. At the moment the EDI and LBA work is a" testing the water" operation. Should it prove viable then it could lead to more PPY positions being created, or more Sunwing aircraft......who knows.
Indeed, apologies if my post was misleading. The EDI work to be done by Sunwing is in addition to their regular Irish operation. There are rumblings from Transport Canada that any reciprocal flying should be on a "one for one" basis. At the moment our crews fly a lot more work in Canada than Sunwing do here, so the argument could be made for using Sunwing for the likes of the LBA work as well rather than contract pilots, in order to protect the number of crews and aircraft currently sent to Canada in the winter. At the moment the EDI and LBA work is a" testing the water" operation. Should it prove viable then it could lead to more PPY positions being created, or more Sunwing aircraft......who knows.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,482
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hypothetical Fleet Question.........
Thomson have a mixed fleet of 737NGs, 757s, 767-300s and now 787s coming online in the next few months. Thomson have 13 firm 787 orders and 13 787 options. Not certain how many will be operated exclusively out of the UK.
It is pure speculation and anything can happen, but is it reasonable to think Thomson will likely replace all 767s with 787s and take the full options for a total of 26 787s? Are we talking an eventual dual fleet of 737NGs and 787s in the long term? Any "informed" predictions or thoughts?
It is pure speculation and anything can happen, but is it reasonable to think Thomson will likely replace all 767s with 787s and take the full options for a total of 26 787s? Are we talking an eventual dual fleet of 737NGs and 787s in the long term? Any "informed" predictions or thoughts?
Last edited by Iver; 19th Dec 2012 at 18:34.