Why not take the redundant 737 pilots and train them on the 787 like a decent company would do?

Viking;

You have answered your own question there!

Deptrai.

The tampon comment on that photo wasn't what sprang immediately to my mind. Given his self satisfied expression plus the positioning of his hand says more along the lines of

"just look at my massive xxxx. Haven't I just got a huge xxxx? Hey everybody! come and see how big my xxxx is! I've just used this thing to sully and defile a whole lot of aircrew. Guess what! They still keep coming!"

Anybody who had suffered under the false hope of terms in the industry standing a chance for us grunts at the grinding wheel. Please take a look at "management Freudian sexual exhibit "A"" then exit the room in an orderly fashion. This is what you're up against.

a caption competition for that photo would probably result in a lot of references to shafting, or..."You'd better wake your bloody ass up".

They offered this to the pilots that were laid off last year actually, so maybe they will do it again this year.

However, some of the pilots might not have the experience required to fly the 787, and besides, some of them probably don't even want to fly the 787.

Of course offering something is better than nothing at all, but doing so still wouldn't make this OK. Far from it!

I don't remember there being many takers for the 787 offer last time around, which would no doubt be influenced by the need to provide a sum of cash/bank guarantee somewhat beyond the financial ability of someone just laid off after only 6mths on Contract.

Last year many pilots not effected took reduced working or unpaid leave to 'help' reduce the impact, the outcome was that most of the lay offs had their lay off period reduced.

Few will do so this time round, it would also be nice to see the Norwegian union which was supported by the euro based pilots during their dispute get a grip of this situation, after all most if not all the lay offs are to pilots who have worked in OSL since starting.

I understand that the letter to these pilots states that this will be a 'one off' event ?? for the second time .......few will believe that.

+1 Highfive,

Seriously, what did they expect for "working" for them ?
They just got what they deserved! and I don't have any sympathy for them.
They will make burgers in winter...

No Fly Zone.......... 'And of course... if it is not in writing, it simply ain't gonna happen.'

You would like to think so wouldn't you? Unfortunately not at Norwegian. An OSL core Captain told me that there was a DEC pilot here completing his line training in OSL last week. This pilot had signed a contract for OSM for Gatwick starting in July but Norwegian and OSM were trying to force the pilot to now sign a Spanish contract instead. They waited until the day before his line check and the chief pilot told him that unless he signed the Spanish contract he would not be allowed to do his line check. The pilot refused so they sent him home - then terminated his contract.

Avoid Norwegian like the plague unless you are desperate. Even Ryanair is probably now a better option.

Gaza 10, firstly I am sorry for the situation you find yourself in.

Professional Pilots, we all attend CRM etc to learn from the mistakes of others.

You have a first hand example here. Use it.

This practice only continues because you/we let it.

A great deal of sense in the last 5 or so posts (I say "or so" as I don't want to include myself)

LNIDA, I am heartened to see that your Rose Tinted spectacles are actually those really clever light sensitive/ variable jobbies that are NOT recommended for flying (OK for driving at high speed into tunnels :ugh: ) you have given me hope for the edification process that is really required, & to be applied to anyone in doubt of what is "The Norwegian Way"
However, as you know only too well, the "Norwegian Pilots Union " / NPU can only get involved if someone is on a Norwegian Contract, not an ARPI/OSM/Whoreshuttle contract temporarily dumped in Scandinavia after line training to artificially prove that the Core pilot figure is sufficient. . . .but well, I guess you know/understand all that. NPU do what they can, within their remit/Norwegian Labour Law, I eagerly await BALPA's contribution, although their recognition,given that it is with the Seamans Employer, rather than the postholder, may limit their influence a bit there, lets see.


gaza10, the writing was on the wall IF you had taken the time to read the postings made (at personal cost/liability to some of us ) on here, so, don't be remotely surprised, you were warned, and if you didn't believe, you could have PM'd any of us for confirmation, &/or read the history of how it went last Winter.

opscat, regretably, yes, that is pretty much the "company culture" :{ or so it appears going forward. The NLH thread is a source of unbridled joy too.

Another NAS pilot layoff should come as no surprise from a management culture best described as punitive and poisonous. Despite a Post Holder goon who regularly appears in the Norway press tomasterfully hammer home the Norwegian product, pilots should be seeking other alternatives to becoming 100% Norwegian.

Recall that many ex-Ryanair pilots dumped NAS and returned to the rock solid 5/4/5 of Ryanair and better pay, after their promise of direct employment turned into a blatant lie, with cancelled contracts, pilot layoffs and the strike devolution of the Scandinavian core group - turning a once strong union into more of a string onion. Divide and conquer – mission accomplished.

As a contractor employed by an agency, you are providing a service to Norwegian like catering or cleaning. Norwegian instructs the agency as to the services and manpower they require. You have no recourse whatsoever with Norwegian regarding any employment and/or contract issues with your agency employer. No union can help you, including BALPA. This is the reality of the employment circumvention Kjos has achieved. Things can only get worse.

Sadly, in less than three years the now separated core group of NAS pilots will find themselves in the same position, after each receives another OSM phone call at home, to again threaten being fired or signing an OSM contract. 100% Norwegian, indeed.

This thread reeks of hindsight bias and know-it-all mentality. And it's sickening to read. Not uncommon when things like these happen unfortunately.

Some of you are so good at looking back and finding it so obvious how these layoffs during winter happened for the second time. Because it was so damn clear to see and anyone who didn't see it coming must be mentally retarded, right? Stop fooling yourselves. You did not know for certain it would happen, because none of us did.

Of course in hindsight it is all easy to explain and there are so many convenient explanations available to show how "easy" it was to see this coming.. no matter how much you believe you knew it was going to happen you actually did not know for sure. This is a perfect example of the hindsight bias. It's easy to criticize and find faults in someone's decision making after the outcome is known, and likewise also very easy to forget that when the decision was made the outcome was actually still unknown.

The truth is that even for the pilots in Norwegian this was surprising news. It did happen last year, but considering the explanations given it could all seem like a simple ****up by the crew planning department (which would not be a surprise), or a mere coincidence as new routes that were planned from the Euro-bases had their start-ups postponed leaving less work for the pilots. My point being that it would be just as easy to find logical explanations to the hypothetical scenario that no one was laid-off this winter as to the actual scenario that people will in fact be laid off.

So get off your high horses everyone, cut the crap, and show some respect to your fellow aviators. They could not know this was going to happen again, and neither could you. Telling someone they "should've known" and that they "deserve" to be laid off because of it is just being disrespectful and quite frankly, stupid.

Well said minimumstick:ok:

I'm not sure anyone is " blaming the pilots" yes they may have been feeling secure given last years events and the promises of your management that there would not be a repetition of events.. this is not the issue.. the real issue is : How can any responsible company behave in such an atrocious manner.. Now you may spring to their defence with " overmanning, lack of new routes, overcapacity, commercial pressures etc etc, all bull.." and I am sure there is genuine embarrassment among the core pilots, however, how many other low costs do this? No wonder the pilots are trading the red nose for the golden harp, it is more acceptable than the golden rivet!

minimumunstick,

specsavers is a well known optical chain. . . . . . .


reality pills, are possibly not available on prescription, but are surely advised for anyone in this industry.


None so blind, as those that will not see













Old 8th Feb 2015, 14:11 #50 (permalink)
captplaystation

Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: FUBAR
Posts: 3,064
To which you can add


The winter season 2015 will open up for the possibility of extended Leave of Absence (working outside the Norwegian group), reduced working patterns (50-80%) or leave for most bases at the EURO/SCAN area. If you already have a wish for a break in the autumn of 2015, please send an Email as soon as possible.


For anyone who doesn't remember, a similar request last Summer did not yield enough "volunteers", which resulted in between 1 & 4 mths forced unpaid leave for the most recent entrants. There was no solution to this until the pilots got together & ameliorated it by volunteering to help out their colleagues by taking reduced roster. This resulted in most receiving shorter forced breaks, or at least 25% or 50% employment for part of it.

It appears NAS is becoming a seasonal employer, in regards to Base Stability / 100% employment, this suits some people, if it doesn't . . . beware, leaving FR will not mean you are leaving behind being dicked around for basings, nor having to take unpaid leave over the Winter (at least for the first couple of years you are here )
captplaystation is online now Report Post

Clearly the contracts cannot be worth much if an employee can be forced to take 'unpaid" leave?

The important issue here, for those looking at joining NAS or NLH , is the companies intent. If it becomes accepted that the workforce are
complicit with the employers "requests" then it will become accepted practice. If you have 200 hours and living at your parents, or sharing digs, then no problem.
For the majority, its a lottery and must make sound financial planning a headache. How do guys on these punitive contracts expect to plan for their long term futures?

How long before this thinking of taking an autumn "break" will spread to the long haul? From what I gather, it seems the guys there are rather smug that they are in a separate company and there is no cross over. This will only last until there is a financial hickup or similar long haul slowdown, that requires NLH to trim its fat. Or cancel a few contracts.

All of this is not an issue to the newbie or desperate, or out of work brigade. They will take the crumbs on offer and hope to move on to pastures greener. Good luck with this.

For the majority, I cannot believe many will throw in the towel on an expat contract or a secure euro LoCo position to join either NAS or NLH. Its too risky and unstable.
I was hoping for something more but clearly these modern operators are ruthless with their staff.

Congratulations on your prediction which turned out to be correct. Do you want a cookie for that?

Unfortunately you fail to see that my point remains, and especially for you who "saw this coming from miles away" it is of course easy to be smug now in hindsight that it actually did happen.

Now the vast majority of pilots should "go get glasses" and are "uwilling to see" because they did not see this coming as clearly as you did right? Your comments are perfect to reiterate my point about "know-it-all" mentality which is perfectly displayed in your sarcastic comments. As someone else recently posted it should not be the topic of this discussion, and it is not very respectful to those affected either. Then of course, I have to say that I am familiar with your style of writing so it doesn't really surprise me coming from you ;)

Just to make my point clear: It was not shocking news that pilots would be laid off as it did happen last year, so you didn't really predict next week's lottery ticket numbers either. But we did not know for sure, and it was not clear cut that it would happen again as you believe it was.

Most likely some of the pilots who applied did indeed know that there was a risk involved, but maybe some of them coming from smaller companies without jet-experence considered it worth the risk anyway. Are they then "blind" and "in need of glasses" because they applied? In my opinion not at all. Their decision might have been a good one regardless.

And if they choose to leave the company for pastures greener (or blue/yellow and whiter) they must pay half the rating back, according to a mate who's one of the few involved.

Highfive, 'Clearly the contracts cannot be worth much if an employee can be forced to take 'unpaid" leave?'

The contracts are completely worthless when the previously agreed terms no longer suit Norwegian. See my earlier post about the captain that was terminated for refusing to give up his Gatwick contract to sign a Spanish one.

OSM advertise their contract as permanent employment. In reality it is no more than a rolling 3 month contract if the employee can be terminated for attempting to defend the terms in his existing contract. You accept what is forced upon you or you are out.

Anyone considering an application to Norwegian needs to be aware of the reality that others before them have experienced. I would only apply to this company if you have no other option. Proceed with caution.