Shocking or Acceptable behaviour?
 

Recently a management member of an airline sent out this e-mail to their pilots. How would you react?


Dear Pilots,
This email is directed to thus pilots who are leaving soon or are going to leave Company X.

Everyone has right to terminate his contract according to his best interest, but you must to take into consideration that starting it you took and guaranteed some obligations.

We experienced during last time many situations that pilots failed to fulfil their obligations towards Company X, or their operational reliability dropped down significantly. Every single case is investigated.

I would like to inform you that: everyone who try to terminate his contract without proper notice period, or to leave without agreement regarding bond, or demonstrating improper attitude, or finally, who is causing disturbance in operations will not receive any certificates required by his future employer (also security), or feedback will include full opinion about your reliability as employee or service provider (including adequate statistics).

This may have direct impact on your future career.

I would like to remind you that it was banned to Base Captains to issue any certificates without Fleet Managers approval. Hours flown are available for yourself from AIMS, but it won’t be certified by company representative until all required conditions are met.

PLEASE ACT RESPONSIBLY

Contract world not for the faint of heart.

Docs unavailable? Hmmm..what to do?

An Utter disgrace!
Who the hell do they think they are?
It's called "extortion" and is the only way this ever increasing number of unscrupulous airlines, can hold onto their experienced crew now, when it is finally a pilot's market!

Airlines want to talk about "obligations" a "guarantees"? ...well let's start with the constantly changing terms & conditions; not delivering promised contract T's & C's and abiding by THEIR written words... no pay for 3 - 6 months at couple of airlines until "checked to line"... monthly deductions from your earnt pay which is to be given back to you in your final contract year, WITHOUT interest; unrealistic & huge cash/bank guarantees up front as "bonds"... the list goes on and I'm sure many of you here could very easily add to the list!

Until the accountants and Indian middle management that's weaseled their way into many positions of influence, piss-off back to their underground offices where they belong, instead of attempting to "manage", this industry has no hope!:ugh:

Treat your core personnel properly & with respect (pilots, Cc, engineers) and they will stay... because THEY are the ones who keep the expensive assets moving, day & night, rail hail or shine while everyone else is tucked away in bed "counting sheep". Keeping the airframes moving is what create the money flow... so if not treated accordingly, you had better employ parking-meter-maids because your aircraft will be parked against the fence from having no crews!

Here's a business opportunity for someone too: compile a list/database of unscrupulous airlines like this, their stunts and their employment record! I could name 5 right now!

A few additional facts.

Non-rated pilots are bonded for 36 months, with 15 - 18 months deduction in salary. So another 18 - 21 months obligation to work for company.

Company is making a bond of 30.000 Euros for 36 months, of which only 15.000 Euros should be repaid trough salary deductions.

Same time company are offering non-rated pilots to self-fund their rating for 14.000 Euros + VAT. If they do this they are not bonded by airline.
This is a new recent scheme by the airline, as an alternative to them funding the training themselves and bonding pilots for 36 months.

During training pilot's are paid "pocket money" For most the 15 months on reduced salary is barely survivable.

The recent e-mail by management was sparked by an higher then usual number of resignations within the company, of people either leaving aviation completely or finding other jobs.

Yes unacceptable but caused in part by the unacceptable actions of some pilots in the past breaking their side of the bargin and leaving: without the agreed notice period, not paying their bond off or causing disruption. How did you expect the companies to respond? Childish but this is the only way they can punish. On the whole the pilots work force started this. If you leave on a good note complying with your agreed obligiations this will not happen. I agree the tone of the email (if true) is awful but it may be slighly changed in translation by the reporter.

The e-mail is Copy and Paste, only removed company name to protect the innocent ;)

There is nothing lost in translation. You see exactly what was written.

Personally I cannot believe that you put a company email on a public forum!

Everyone knew what they was in for before they signed up, but still took the job.


If I sign a contract, it has my signature on it so then I will respect it, do your bond/notice period and then leave. If it doesn't seem to be legal or legit go and seek legal advice.

"The beatings will continue until morale improves" :E

Interesting.

I think I know which company this is.

It all smacks of desperation. They can't increase salaries because the bottom line would suffer ahead of the planned IPO, and the poor salary isn't enough to keep people there in an improving market.

It is a shame that this company may be reverting to bullying tactics, when it has always been known for poor pay, albeit with a human touch to it's employees.

A320baby you might sign and uphold your side of the bargain. I see your age is 26 Ive been in the business 26+ years and the days when companies kept their word are disappearing fast.
Come try the Middle East.:mad:

Gardenshed I am not complaining nor condoning, just merely stating that company emails shouldn't be published on a public forum.

A letter from Management earlier this year. (As comment for NR about company bottom line)

Company X achieved the highest EBITDAR margin and became the third most
profitable airline in Europe including all carriers, LCC's and legacy ones, in our last financial year ended on 31 March.

"DEFINITION OF 'EBITDA MARGIN'
A measurement of a company's operating profitability. It is equal to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) divided by total revenue. Because EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization, EBITDA margin can provide an investor with a cleaner view of a company's core profitability."

As reward a bonus was provided this year ;)

Let me thank you for your relentless commitment to the Company with a
special gift, two return tickets available for you on the website.
Use these tickets to visit one of our great destinations you’ve always wanted to travel to and treat yourself and your loved one with an amazing trip.

You change people’s lives every day – now it's your turn to enjoy the opportunities that flying with Company X brings.
You all truly deserve it.


Hmmm it is mind blowing, how out of touch with reality management can be!

It's like I should go to a restaurant and spend 1000 Euros on dinner, and leave 50 cents in tip! Personally I find this insulting.

A320 if you sign a contract that tells you when you get 1000 hours you should jump off a bridge, it does not make the contract legal! I highly doubt that these contracts are either legal or fiscal correct. But that is a discussion for another day!

I've been flying for my living for almost four decades now. I've made a point of never asking for any sort of certification or reference from a previous employer and in one case declined the "kind offer", from the top man himself as a telling rebuttal. It was probably offered because he was fully aware that I could have taken him to the high court eighteen months before but chose to continue my employment. He would have lost his case because he was in breach of a well publicised legal precedent over the same issue. The very nice official letter of accolade I received on leaving the military is stashed away in a file somewhere unused.

I've never been unemployed.

Having said that, I've never acted in breach of any contract I've signed. Two previous employers did, see above regarding the high court precedent.

Intimidation by employers is a no no:= in most countries. Present a copy of the letter to your attorney.

If the pilot group had a set of twigs and berries between the entire group, they should all call in sick as they don't feel safe to operate.

See how fast the shareholder like paying lease payments on grounded billboards.

These companies try to create their own laws!
They play on the ignorance of the people that work for them, as can be seen in people like A320Babe!

A320baby - I would beg to disagree. In the same way that we are given dire warnings here on PPRuNe that we are not contributing in a vacuum, no employer can be immune from facing the consequences of sending threatening or abusive e-mails to its employees. It is a key protection of employees to post unsavoury communications from their company should the need arise. This is not commercial-in-confidence stuff - it is a straightforward and direct threat from their management.

Now regarding whether it is reasonable or not, that is very hard to say. I have no idea what company is involved here, but in principle it would seem reasonable for a company to expect someone to serve out their notice without either leaving early or becoming so belligerent as to make themselves unemployable. Equally, some sort of slave labour is unacceptable too. The key thing here is to get to the bottom of what is going on in terms of employee or employer activity that has lead to this impasse. I would also add that another factor here is that my understanding is that it is not legal to retain employment records, security details etc from past employes with a view to preventing them work in the future. Therefore, I think there are legal considerations here. Whatever the truth of the situation, I would certainly not want to work for employers like this.

Wizzair I presume ?

Do not believe it is important to identify the company.
It's more the general view, the ones involved will know, as they have all read this e-mail I would assume.

It is the contents of the e-mail, and it is fragile possible legal disputable contents that is of interest.

At the least you would hope that the companies legal department had been consulted in advance, but judging by the e-mails contents it seems highly doubtful.

As most of us know, the STASI department in this said airline must already be working in overdrive! If they spent similar amount of energy on improving working conditions and TC's, there might be some improvements instead of an exodus of flight crew with experience.

Actually, once everybody calms down (and grows up a bit) exactly what is threatening about this alleged email? You signed a contract and in that contract it would have spelled out details of any bond involved and notice period required. You give the notice period required and if you owe bond money then you come to an arrangement to pay it back.
Some years previously I left an airline owing bond money. I was moving 'onwards and upwards' and the company I was going to would probably not have taken me if I offered to 'jump ship' I gave the 3 months notice, informed them that I would pay the bond and we agreed when/how it was to be paid. I continued to do my best for them up until my last flight and was rewarded with a glowing reference.
If you're either not planning on leaving or are leaving but plan on fulfilling your contractual obligations, what's the problem? Like another poster, I have been in aviation for nearly 40 years. Seen it all, done most of it and nothing much has changed.
One final thought. Not too sure about posting what is surely a confidential email on a public forum.

Driver, I'm ignorant because I don't share your view, what a complete load of tosh!!

You joined the company, got a type rating, got experience and now your leaving i presume, you knew all the T & c's before you singed on the dotted line! Now tell me who is ignorant!

Just because I am not part of your little gang that constantly disrupts and hates the company! It's getting embarrassing now