Thomson Recruiting
 

Internal Memo:

Hi,

Further to the email sent by Dave Lawrence on the 24th August, I can now confirm that we will be opening our recruitment for First and Second Officers for S13 on Monday September 3rd and will close it at 1700hrsL on Friday 7th September. The terms and conditions for these positions are as detailed in the Flight Operations Modernisation Programme.

Applicants will need to apply via the Tui Travel website - Welcome to TUI Travel PLC - a leading international leisure travel group

The Job Ref is: TUI836-1 and the position will feature in the Hot Job section on the front page of the website (right hand side) from Monday morning.

The link for the role is:

Welcome to the careers portal of TUI Travel UK & Ireland, a leading international leisure travel group.

Please note that this link will not work until Monday morning.

For your information we will be contacting those pilots we recently made redundant as we had previously agreed.

If you do know anyone who is interested in applying please advise them that the only way is through the above web site / link and that CV’s will not be accepted.

you can have my job if you want it for a couple of years. please all apply, it is a good gig and will lead to a long term job for life.

So, aside from the lack of job security, the on going redundancies, questionable performance and anything else...

Could anyone enlighten us as to what the minimum requirements are for the SFO positions? I'm assuming they involve needing some jet time somewhere?

It's a bit too much of a risk for me, but I'd be interested to know what the requirements actually are...

The requirements are type rated 737 (pref NG) only, at least 300 hours on type, it's 50% PPY with a view to being made full time on completion of 5 years service.

Thomson Recruiting
 

Anyone know how Thomson are doing financially?

Is that 5 years on half time and half pay!!? And you provide the rating! :eek: Once a good airline - whats the world coming to! Some of my co-jos ask me where they should apply to - apart from BA, I am at a loss these days.. Maybe PWC or KPMG.

Do you still have to do the ridiculous selection process that would put NASA to shame?

I hope they struggle to find enough typed rated with hours on type 737 bods to fill these awful 50% jobs, sat at the bottom of a seniority list for years on end, listening to the regular diktats from management about how we are too expensive and cuts need to be made. I suppose there will be some people stuck out in Qatar or wherever who will take it and hope that 5 years down the line, management won't decide on a bit of downsizing again, time to make another 100 or so pilots redundant. Monarch and BA still see fit to offer 100% proper contracts from the outset - unfortunately Thomson, formerly an employer of choice, has chosen to join the rest in the race to the bottom. As you may have gathered, I won't be applying to go back - however I am fortunate to have a command with a stable UK jet operator - I appreciate that everyone's situation is different so I wish the best of luck to those who apply and genuinely hope it works out for you.

I think its fair to say that whatever airline you start with there is likely to be some sh#t you have to put up with. You can argue this all day and night, but when all is said, if you get into Thomson and if they eventually offer a FT contract and they survive the economic gloom, then you will have one of (note the "one of") the best jobs around. Career structure, decent terms, variety etc.. There will always be doubts and temptations to go elsewhere, but after 10 years or so they'll disappear too as a command looms. And, you can stay in the UK! What more convincing do you need. All I can tell you is the contract boys we have this year are all praying that they get offered a contract to come back next year and something permanent in the future, which they will get assuming we survive. Good luck.

added:
ps anyone thinking about working outside Europe should take a look at the 1st post on this thread and the OP's comment further down, horrific stuff.
http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/49415...eded-a320.html

Not bad if you had another sideline. But who on earth can afford to work for 30 months in 5 years? I was reasonably excited by the prospect until I understood what was on offer. I still can't see them being short on applicants. A long line of naive little cadets from an airline who could be directly associated with the reason for such a :mad: offer will be banging their door down.

Just to clarify, there will be 20-35 positions available apparently. Permanent positions but work full time in the summer months then two weeks on, two off during the winter. Works out about 81% of normal salary.

Like many others I was hoping they'd be offering permanent full-time posts. I certainly wouldn't expect many people currently working in a permanent job to be interested in their "50% for up to 5 years" positions, however good working for Thomson may be. Very disappointing, and previously good airlines all seem to be striving to compete with others by offering seasonal contracts and reducing Ts&Cs, race to the bottom indeed.

Still, at least they're not going the Flexiscrew route...

Somehow I still think they'll get plenty of applicants.

Thomson is doing rather well financially. Check wiki for the full Thomson lowdown.

From a pilot POV its really a pretty good airline to work for. Yes we all moan like everywhere but at the end of the day we are well paid and well lokked after.

We recently voted in a major change in our terms and conditions both for current pilots and new hires.

Since the merger with First choice things have gone downhill quite a lot but we still offer a 15% DC pension scheme to new hires and a starting salary of £55,435. (£60,765 after 5 years).

Thats one of the best in the industry imo. On top of that you get £3.50 per hour on duty plus around £8.50 ph chock to chock. Plus £450 a day overtime.

First Officer scale paid once 1500 hours and 500 jet hours achieved (on a similar aircraft type).
Cadet salary reduced by £2,400 / month for duration of contract.
Permanent First and Second Officers will have salary reduced by £7,000 / annum for first 3 years of employment if type rating required. (Alternatively these pilots may elect to pay £2,400 / month for first 8 months as per cadet scheme.)
First Officer and Second Officer salary reduced by £7,000 / annum for first year of employment if type rating not required.

As a pilot workforce our CC worked with the company to give a big 2 fingers to CTC. We want our pilots to earn the money not CTC. As such we started our one cadet scheme for low hour pilots. I dont have the deatils of that to hand right now but im sure someone we port it.

As a side line all current pilots have been offered career breaks and I could not see anywhere else to go that is better so stayed put. As a 10 year F/O last year earned in excess £90,000 including some minor overtime.

10 years plus to command In Thomson? That's nearly as long as in Cranebank.

I didn't realise it was really that long.

EPRman - how come its suddenly gone to 81%, the email from those made redundant at the end of 2009/10 (take note those thinking about it - MADE REDUNDANT) clearly states 50% PPY so how come its now full time in summer and then 2 weeks on 2 weeks off? Maybe i'm being a numpty but surely 50% is 6 months work with a full time salary spread over 12 months?

Can any Thomson bods confirm the current or possibly future 737 bases?

How does the schedule work during the summer months?

Many thanks

Does anyone know the proposed start date for this gig I have nearly 1k 737NG have found nothing in recent months things may be looking up now with J2 and thomson soon to recruit.

Thomson Recruiting
 

The FO salary stated on this thread even if part time is more that some 737 operators I know (£55,435) I'm not condoning it but don't be surprised when lots apply!

Not at 50% or 81% it isn't, especially not once you reduce your Year 1 salary by £7000. Quite why you are paid a reduced Year 1 salary if you are joining with a TR and requisite experience on type I don't know...

So reading into this (very dangerous thing on pprune) a rated FO with NG experience will be paid a basic salary amounting to 81% of £55435 minus £7000 in their initial year? Second year to fifth year is 81% of £55435? Fifth year equates to a possible £60765?

Does anyone in the know, know?

Also keen to know the location of the 737 bases and the summer roster pattern. Many thanks

Callsign,

yes your figures are correct including year 5 FO. Year 10 Capt (top scale ) is around £110k on the new joiner scales. Time to command estimated at 10 years for new joiners (big IF as always)

Contract is permanent part time (PPY). You work the full summer season, then in the winter, you work 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. You will get actually, 81.5% of full time salary.

In addition you get:

Duty Rig payment (effectively flying pay). This is around £9 per flying hour, but is uprated by 20% if you do a level 2, and 80% for those flying hours between 0100 and 0700 uk local.

FDA. This is from report time until chocks on at the end of the day. It is £3.52 per hour, 86p of which is tax free.

DC Pension, with 15% company contribution

42 days holidays pa

Private Health for you and your family with no extra payments and no excess payable

Paid unused standbys - about £40 for each 5 hours standby.

Paid ground school allowances -£40 per day

A holiday discount scheme that gets you between 40-70% of a Thomson group holiday pa depending on the price.

20 Requested Days Off pa

Free Uniform, free car parking, Full meals and drinks while on flying duty

Overtime scheme at £440 ish per day

Carmen rostering !!!

Pilot bonus scheme - paid at xmas, upto 2% salary depending on performance

BAYE share scheme (effectively buying shares at half price)

Opportunities to work in Canada for 6 months in winter through sunwing agreement

All recruitment will be 737 with preference given to NG rated with time.

737 bases MAN, LGW, BHX, NCL, EMA, DSA, LTN, STN, EXT, CWL, BOU. Bases I suspect that will be offered - NCL, CWL, LTN, poss MAN, DSA

Its not been a bed of roses since merger in 2009 mainly due to fleet contraction but the package is still very good.

Recruitment will be over winter with I suspect a March or April start to be on the line May 2013.

Total hours varies by base but an average would be 700 hours excluding Overtime, for full time guys. Summer will be pretty much flat out at 93 hours rostered per calender month.Winters are quieter, but not if you go to Canada

Hope this helps

Dash

You almost make it sound attractive !

If you already type rated on the NG, whats the deal with regards £7000 deduction a year ? and for how many years and why if you have to

The £7000 is to cover line training costs. Its a one off cost. I'm not sure if it deducted gross or net, I believe it is gross so around £580 a month or £350 if net.

I would imagine with a little bit of flexi (overtime), you would clear around 60k in year one. Thats with 2 weeks on 2 week off in the winter.

Thomson Recruiting
 

So for any of us who have never paid English tax what's a likely net monthly income on this 81% contract? Thanks

You mean before tax

And is the £7000 deduction just during the first year ?

+ all the benefits are based on full time salary including the pension.

+ Command suitable FOs are eligible for circa £67k after 5 years total service (£61k if not deemed suitable)

+ (Senority dependent) 787, 757, LH, round the world trips, contracts (Canada, Scandinavia), Training FOs (TRIs), new aircraft delivery flights

+ Good people to work with both sides of the flight deck

Regarding Canada, seniority will probably rule it out for new joiners for next year anyway, but if they need the numbers I would be very surprised if a PPY 50 wouldn't get to go.

It's not as good as the Britannia glory days (where is as good as it was ten years ago) but still a great airline to work for. One of the few remaing career airlines.

I feel your pain Council Van! Thomson Airways still have a large fleet of 757's...I’m hoping they might start recruiting for them soon. It sounds like a good deal tho, if I had the 737 NG rating on my licence I would be all over this!

EGCC4284

Yes and yes.:)

To work out a UK salary use this link:

The Salary Calculator - Take-Home tax calculator

60k a year is approx £3000 a month take home so £2500ish at 81%.

Not bad IMO for part time?!

Don't forget its a permanent contract with a guaranteed upgrade to full time at year 5. You could easily clear more than that if you did more overtime. Also overtime is not permitted however on your 2 week off period.

Guys, there will be no recruitment onto 757 at TOM. The fleet is contracting as old 757s are replaced with new 737NGs. The plan is to have a fleet of 787/737NG and around 10 or so 757s until the end of this decade. People are regularly directed off the 757 onto the 737, so they'll be no new recruitment onto any fleet but the 737NG.

The £7000 is taken off salary at source, so you won't pay it out of your net income. So the real "net" cost to you as £4,080, spread over 12 months.

The £7000 is to pay for your Operator conversion course (3 weeks of ground school and sim) and the costs associated with your line training (effectively the safety pilot for the first few sectors and the check capt on your final line check).

Charging for initial and line training? Can someone please tell me how this is different to other pay-to-fly schemes? It's a cost of doing business and TOM should be footing the bill.

If they have to protect their investment, what's wrong with a bond?

How long would it roughly take for the left seat? I have 2100 hours on the -800, but the time to command would be an important factor for me. Sounds like an O.K deal though and I would be interested.

A looooooooooooooooong time.....

People half way on the list still have several years to wait!!

:(

Time to command is 10-15 years.

Bucket and spade, £4000 is pretty good now.

Most airlines want 20-30K up front with £1200 a month take home. As i have stated before I've been here 10 years and can't see a better place to go. To stay in the UK it's BA, Virgin and Thomson. I would take a significant pay cut to go to Virgin and BA would put me on the bottom of a 15 year to command list.

From what I see this is one of the best offers of the last few years and its only going to get worse.

That figure of £2500 doesn't reflect the tax free nature of some of the sector pay - it's not a lot but might give you an extra £100 or so a month.

Is that figure really likely? £2500 is not a lot, compared to my current wage - as much as i'd love to go back to TOM (used to be CC) I don't know if I could take a £1200 a month salary cut!

The benefits and sector pay, if they are as stated on this thread, would be reasonable recompense, no?

Perhaps, if I can put my landlord on the private medical in lieu of rent? :E

A move from the East Wing to the stable block beckons? :p

Guys,

take home pay for the new deal I estimate will be around £3,300 pm all in (thats basic, sector pay and FDA). Take off around £300 pm for the first 12 months if type rated for the OCC costs.

Flexi (overtime) is on top of this and equates to roughly £320 per day net (includes the sector pay and FDA on the day).

If guys think that TOM is the bottom of the barrel then fair enough. No one is forced to apply. Bear in mind though that some current FOs (some with only 6 years in) and who favour doing flexi have P60s of £100k pa.

Even the diluted new joiners package will take some bettering in the UK......and you don't get charged for your uniform or car parking:suspect:

Dream on
 

If you think you'll have a job, never mind a full time one in five years, dream on......You will be shafted, guaranteed:ugh: