Swiss suspends 52 pilots
 

Basel - Swiss suspended 52 of the 72 Saab 2000-Piloten immediately temporarly from the service (kst/sda


This, after the pilots in an open letter made attentive in connection with their unclear future to safety problems.


Swiss decided to let the flightworthyness of that pilots who signed the letter examine, communicated the airline. Swiss will set everything to keep the effects on the flying operation so small as possible.

Ok, here's the translation:

52 of 72 BSL based SB20 pilots have been suspended from their flying duties, after signing a letter that stated pressure from management to be sacked is too big and this could lead to safety problems.

They are now being assessed in their capability of conitinuing their duties. I myself know very well what this means: endless talks and tests with psychologists and Aeropers biased ops managers, with the sure result that they are not capable of flying anymore (irrespective of the psychological test's results): An easy way of getting rid of those surplus pilots.

At least one of the union boards member also signed the letter, so let's see what happens.

One further step to the goal of a Crossair-free Swiss - last one please switch off the light.

OK, so the first post was a machine translation......
So do we prefer that for a heads-up or do we prefer a hyperlink to to the original (non-English) source?

Just for a laugh - here's Rraamjet's post processed to German and back to English

"as soon as the translation came in this connection, a serious topic, but I for one agrees could not not form for head still end piece of the original post. And, I laughed educating to me miserable attempts French /German/CantonesecPas in the past on. Any Pax could not of the other one, on reflection probably explains...."

:-)

as we learned on another thread, etihad wants 40 swiss pilots on lease base. they might even get these guys .......

turtleneck
I am sure Etihad does not intend to have Saab pilots on lease. They are keeping an eye on rated airbus guys.

here's what AFX says
 

BASEL (AFX) - Swiss International Air Lines said it has disciplined and suspended 52 pilots who fly for its Saab 2000 operations after they questioned cockpit safety levels in a letter to management.

The carrier also hired experts to review the pilots' flying ability.

'Following a positive assessment of their flying skills, these pilots will be re-integrated into flight operations,' the airline said in a statement issued overnight.

Swiss said it will do all it can to minimise the impact of the decision on flight operations.

'While Swiss takes the statements made in the letter seriously, the safety of its Saab 2000 operations out of Basel is guaranteed at all times,' it added.

The Saab 2000 operation comprises 72 pilots staffing a fleet of seven aircraft out of Basel.

Do I understand right, that those who have signed the letter (52 out of 72) will have to do the assessment?

regards

That’s correct. The others were unable to the letter before mailing but agree in full to the context of it.

What can only be described as a typically SWISS knee-jerk reaction. There's a lot of dirt underneath the surface of that airline, and indeed, that country! :ugh:

No they won't. The news report I've seen says that only long-haul crews are getting the chance to go to Etihad. The Saab crews are only being offered financial compensation.

The first word that crossed my mind, when I heard about this action off Swiss, wasn't shamefull but now it won't be censored!!!:* :} :yuk:

It almost has a whiff of the CX 49'ers debacle about it....not pretty.

RevMan - classic. That's about how my PA's come out, anyway!:uhoh:

More like the ANSETT scenario surely? They appear to have shot themselves in the foot. Handed management their own heads on a plate.:bored:

Sounds more like stupidity of those guys to me. Now suppose mangement was actually trying to get them jobs elsewhere (I know, maybe a more hopeful than real scenario, but anyway), then now management has all possible excuses for not having found anything for them.

'Hey boss, you promised you would get me a new job.'

'Yes. I was close to have you one, but then you admitted publicly that you were no safe pilot!'.

Really bright one, as maxalt said.

72 PILOTS FOR 7 AIRCRAFT ..... plenty of standbys then..... or not?

Too many pilots?
 

Well, it takes two pilots to fly an aircraft. That makes 35 crews for seven planes. The seven planes operate 3000 hours a month, that means every crew operates ~90 hrs. And then you have sickness and vacation....

Not TOO much room for stbys

Sorry, Dani, your "translation" was not plain correct. The "safety problems" is only the trick Swiss used to avoid the fundamental critics brought forward by the said letter: it's a question of jobs, not a question of safety.

Here is the open letter, in full, including formatting, copied from an original print:

Fair Cop
 

Dear SAAB Pilots -

Once upon a time, not so long ago, when your company was being disolved and incorporated into the new SWISS, (So What It's Still Swissair) your management embarked upon a retrenchment policy for pilots based on pilot nationality first and seniority second. I don't believe that any of you complained about the stresses of your jobs back then when your little red passport guarenteed you a position in the new national carrier and possibly eventually, on the same seniority system, whilst systematically, unfairly and xenephobically disposing of the experience base including pilots mostly senior to all of you, in your once vibrant little airline.

As the father of one of those Great Australian Crossair Retrenched Pilots, all that I can say to you blokes is: FAIR COP! You chose to abandon your colleagues at a time that your employer was behaving disgracefully. Now take it like men and stop crying in public. Or as a good soldier might say: "Shut-up and die like a man!"

Ettore, you're quite right: There isn't any indication of flight safety implication in the "open letter". But at the same time, union board member Martin Gutknecht, said to SDA (Swiss news agency): "During normal operation there isn't any danger to safety, but it could lead to it during an engine problem or the like".

It is also noteworthy that the "open letter" was only open to the management of Swiss and to the board of directors of Swiss. The letter itself has been made public by Swiss International itself - while threatening the 52 pilots at the same time that they would face immediate dismissal if they would do so! :eek:

Crew factor for an average regional aircraft is 8 to 10 pilots per aircraft, so 70 for 7 is quite normal.

And Etihad:
Forget any job offering for Saab pilots. They are offered one month salary per year of service, while they offer a wide body job for the former Swissair pilots with an offer to come back if they don't like it (although only for a limited number).
Crossair pilots are threatened to be dismissed in a wild order (whose aircraft that go away those pilots will be fired), while Swissair guys go strictly according seniority (and getting another expensive retraining).

Kapt. Ive - you're right that those pilots do not deserve a better treatment than what they did with people like you. Mainly it's not a question of discrimination but a lack of strategical and tactical know how on working disputes. They chose the wrong way then as they choose it now, that's why Swiss is where it is now and why it soon isn't anymore :uhoh:

OPEN LETTER
 

Here is the transcript of the Open letter to the Swiss management:



Open letter to the Board of Directors and Management of Swiss

We, the undersigned Saab pilots from Basle, hereby strongly protest against the further intentions of Swiss’s Management to lay off staff.

We, the Saab pilots, are extremely annoyed with a Board and a Management expecting us to fully maintain Swiss’s Basle operations – despite the fact it has submitted us a de facto dismissal months ago.

We can no longer bear superiors who are continuously and endlessly expecting us to act professionally in our cockpits but to set aside our daily frustrations at the company’s no-culture at the same time. Reality looks completely different: The number one topics in the cockpit are our anger and our fears about personal future ¬– topics which are constantly present and dominate our cockpit discussions!

We, the Saab pilots, can no longer accept the company’s Operational Safety Manager, as he seems to be adequate for «nice weather flights» only. If he took his work seriously and indeed cared about flight safety, then he would either do his best to terminate the current farce or – as the only alternative – he would resign.

We, the Saab pilots, no longer wish to receive company newsletters encouraging us to accept the situation before being laid off in autumn. One of the greatest annoyance are the continuous tales in these letters with the aim of keeping us quiet until we receive our dismissal! What we want are prospects for a positive future! According to the political mandate (i.e. a new Swiss airline based on Crossair’s economical structures), WE are Swiss! We demand work in our company and not a sum in compensation for the loss of our jobs!

We, the Saab pilots, request that any forthcoming risks of lay-offs finally be shared equally among both pilots groups (former Swissair/Crossair)! Furthermore, we demand that the agreement concluded with Board Member Bosch be put into practice consistently. In summer 2003 he urged us to agree to the dismissal of more than 50 percent of the former Crossair pilots by promising to apply the so-called zipper model (dismissals within the Swissair/Crossair pilots’ group proportional to their size) in the event of further dismissals. If Bosch cannot commit himself to his signature (the agreed course of action), we suggest that he puts his position in the Board at someone else’s disposal.

We, the Saab pilots, do not want to be abused as a form of pressure for the forthcoming negotiations regarding the new general contracts of employment. For months we have been told how unprofitable Swiss’s Basle operations are. Do WE now have to pay the price of the mismanagement caused by the Management and the Board of Directors?

We, the Saab pilots from Basle, clearly state the following: We will never accept to being disposed of that easily! Do the tax payers, who have already been cheated, finally have to pay for our unemployment money as well, in order to sell Swiss to Lufthansa even cheaper? We firmly request clear decisions from the Board of Directors and the Management – decisions that uncompromisingly reflect the written commitments made by Mr Bosch!

We are aware: It is extremely embarrassing that we have to use this kind of clear wording and have to sue our own company once more. It is a pity that Swiss’s management apparently only understands clear messages. We are simply no longer willing to accept this kind of unethical arrogance – an arrogance event trying to flout court decisions and legal contracts!

To date the undersigned are still employees of Swiss and wish to be treated and respected a such! Without any clear signals from your side, we shall make all efforts to lead Lufthansa to withdraw from the contract by claiming damages between ten and hundreds of millions Swiss Francs from Swiss.

WE THE SAAB PILOTS FROM BASLE ARE SWISS