Quote:
Originally Posted by APCLurker
A whole 5 years? Quite the accumulation of airline experience there.
As others have said, have you ever given a moments thought as to how/why you are earning what you are?
Well done for quoting me out of context. For clarity, I was trying to explain that I am INEXPERIENCED in this industry, and that outside of the hideous US feeder/starter job market, there are dignified and reasonably paid jobs to be had, which go some way to restoring professional standing for professional pilots without being at the US majors. I Said this after the inference of another poster that I was somehow in favour of poor conditions such as NAI.
Do I think my contract is a product of market forces? Yes, I do. I don't live or work in the US. At this stage, I have the right to, though I have no desire to. Personal choice. I also have the right to live in the UK and New Zealand. I'm British by upbringing, and lived in the states (the greatest country in the world, apparently) for a few years.
My earnings have zero to do with generations of US legacy pilots doing the lifting. Sorry, but l have to remind that poster that there are other nations outside the four soon-to-be-walls of the US. I work in a country that has loose employment laws, for a company which is majority owned by a British family business conglomerate, and unions have limited power or effectiveness. So, yes, my contract is a product of market forces. For some, it's not enough to stay, and for others it is. The package will adjust accordingly. It certainly isn't driven by my esteemed piers in the US, nor has it anything to do with collective bargaining. I wish we had more collective bargaining procedures and laws to protect us, but we don't.
I'm not even pretending it's great. I enjoy it, I think I make a fair pay check, but it has its issues. I mentioned it, as I said, because of something inferred by another poster. Not to swing my gland around.
Back on topic - and for the avoidance of doubt - I'm hugely against what NAI are doing. My point is, they aren't breaking any rules. The rules suck, I agree, but it's pretty clear cut.
The contract? It's sh!te, but it's market forces at work. In Europe, there is currently a large glut of qualified pilots. Just like there was in the US a few short years ago. Now the roles are reversed. No need to go all 'tall poppy', but it's clearly a case of oversupply. This has happened on both sides of the pond.
When they run out of 787 candidates (and attrition kicks in, in earnest), they'll have to do something to react to the market.
I'm in no way dancing on the graves of the legacies in the US. I have the UTMOST respect for the guys there. Most have been through hell and back, and I'm delighted to see the contracts getting back in the right direction. Not a minute too soon, and not a penny too much.
My slight against them, was that they unfortunately can't compete at the moment. The overheads are high, the product isn't good, etc. Unfortunately, NAI can (quite legally) fill their (better) seats up with happy customers, feed them better food, and offer better service for far less. It sucks, but it's legal. Just like Starbucks and their tax fiasco. You know all of this. It's up to guys far above our pay grades to decide whether you tackle them and squeeze NAI out of the market by loss leading (which would be great, but cut into someone's bonus), drastically improve product to justify price (a slow and very expensive process), or alter the model to generate money in other markets. For example, the (rightly) protected domestic market.
Hopefully I've clarified my opinion on the subject. I apologise if I came across as bragging - I really wasn't, it's nothing to brag about, trust me. Nobody on the coal face of this industry makes what they should. I was merely countering a point. We're all professionals, and deserve professional cash, but globally, a lot stands in our way.
And the kicker? It's all legal.
Cheers fellas. I'll buy any one of you guys a few beers when you pass through HKG, and be delighted to chat with you about many things, including this. That way, perhaps what I say may be better understood than what I type. It'll be you Southern boys that'll need to speak slower for me!