Dissatisfied Flightcrew This is the letter received by all “Blue” flight crew members, management pilots and above, from an anonymous Delhi-based “Blue” pilot who has voiced out his dissatisfaction with the treatment received at the airline. This mail follows certain hushed-up resignations of senior management pilots from the airline. A sign of trouble at the top? Maybe. This e-mail has already spread beyond the airline’s walls, with many non-”Blue” pilots bearing a copy, as well as few other bloggers posting about this as early as October 1st. Being anonymous, the contents cannot be verified or ascertained. But the specific mention of people, notices and other details adds certain credibility to the letter. This letter has been published that people may be made aware of hidden levels of dissatisfaction that may run in an airline: any airline, for that matter. The intent of this post is neither to support nor blemish any airline, individual or group, but to better understand the emotions of flight crew. After all, the safety rests in the hands of the men and women at the front end of the airplane. Dear Mr. “Blue-promoter” Hello , how are you doing? As an owner of the company you never bothered to interact with your employees. Never tried to find out the working conditions and never thought of finding the ground realities. So we thought of reaching you, just to give a picture of what is happening in your company.The news of profit which your Pawn has shared with all, is good for you. What is good in this news for others. We continue to draw the same money for so many years now, where as you guys have filled your lockers by sucking our blood day and night. It was quite an amusement to see the fancy figure of 787. We won’t be surprised if later it turns out be exaggerated figures like that of Satyam. Remember you can not erect an empire with blood of your workers. If you want success it has to be your sweat. Few years back you made a smart move by introducing Benevolent fund but that does not provide immunity to the pilots against atrocities by your business house, across the board with all the workers.You also must be very well aware about the unhappiness among the employees right from loader to the Pilot but you are blind folded and busy in making lots and lots of money. We were waiting to listen it from the horse’s mouth and now since you have said it it’s time for us to put forth our demands. We are group of 150 strong pilots and number is increasing. Soon you will get the taste of our strength and let me assure you that this would stall your free run so far, which you have achieved not because of your hard work but just because of sheer luck. We are soon going to submit a memorandum to DGCA and ICAO signed by all of us, highlighting the exploitation been done by you wherein pilots are made to operate flights with minimum rest under threat of Salary deduction. Also a copy of it would be provided to media to make the flyers aware against this safety hazard. The so called quality of life is being enjoyed by the management pilots only and at the level of Line Pilots the situation is real bad. The inflation has gone up many fold but you just give increment of Rs 5000/- per year. Have some shame. The low cost model is for passengers. You can not expect the employees to draw low salaries. Even govt is coming out with 7th Pay Commission for its employees and have already given a 10% DA hike now making it 90 % DA. Why don’t you sell of your BMW and start moving around in a TATA NANO that is also low cost. Also start staying in studio apartment without any Curtains that would be super low cost. Your management treat us like pupils. What authority CEO has to stop people from Smoking in Uniform. If that is the case then we should not even urinate wearing your uniform. FaceBook is a public forum. People keep posting nuisance about PM of this country but he minds his work. Why CEO is so interested in people’s personal FB accounts. It’s better if he keeps himself to cabin crew only. Do not try to be our father. We are professionals and not drivers. One needs to treat us with dignity and not like inmates of Tihar (jail). You can not keep treating us like dogs. This business of threats for every thing, be it for flight or Sick report, can not work for ever. If you guys are so calculative then let me give you some food for thought. 1. Why the King pilots were paid Hefty joining bonus when every one knew market situation was bad. These pilots were working for King without salaries and would have joined without any Bonus. Also if some one is without a Job, he would accept any base you offer him. Which could have saved lot of Temporary duty from other bases and Dead Head allowance, where was your calculation that time. Why every one was given Delhi. Against every Pilot joining some one made good money in name of Reference Commission. Who were these guys XXXXXX and XXXXXXX? Where were your calculations at that time. 2. The famous Uniform Scam at Blue. Who made money in providing that sub standard worthless uniform. First all new joiners were given Blazers and within a year those were replaced by new uniform. It was a good money making exercise which we had seen years ago in INDIAN AIRLINES. first the name was changed to Indian. Every thing right from paint of AC, interiors, stationary, uniform etc was changed and with in a year changed again to Air India. Where was all your calculation that time. 3. Mr. XXXXXX also took his share of cake. HotelX Mumbai was giving such a deal which no Hotel could offer, but Mr. XXXXXX changed the hotel before leaving to Hotel 2. coincidentally the same group which he joined and another coincidence was all of a sudden the layovers in Mumbai went up many fold. He must have promised some X number of rooms. Where was your intelligence at this time. 4. If you are low cost why you keep arranging company parties. Rather utilize this money for some other cause. It’s become more of family outing for XXXXXX and other management pilots and has nothing to do with other pilots. Rather station parties are forced on people. This is the only airlines where senior commanders get same salary as the newly released commanders. There has to be some incentive for senior pilots. Rather you guys have made it a school where management is more interested in checking uniform, ties and belts. Conducting online annual exams etc etc. Low cost Airlines should not have all these tantrums. So far you guys have been very successful in exploiting us but now the market it changing. Remember no one is invincible. You can not stay at top for ever and especially by crook. Yours is a self proclaimed best place to work. Best of the empires in this world have fallen and best of the companies have vanished overnight. One mass sick report would give you the taste of power which pilots possess. Still there is time that you guys mend your ways. Last time some one sent you some stupid ???? but they were bunch of guys who tried to seek support and help of other pilots but people backed out. But this time we are strong 150 Pilots and I am sure many would join us the day we present our selves. Do not be surprised if soon you see a news of PIL being filed by our group against Blue-parent just to find out your money making MANTRA . How when all others are bleeding you are making money. Govt. should be aware of this business model so that Air India could be run using this model and tax payers money given to AirIndia could be saved. Entire nation today is talking about inflation, even Govt has admitted it and has given DA to its employees. Jet has revised salaries from 2010, but you guys are sitting and watching every thing. You people just want to pocket more and more money without realizing that people who work for you also need regular pay hikes. Enough is enough. 1. We demand 40% hike in our salaries. 2. Withdraw Notice XX immediately . No deduction in salary for what ever may be the reason. 3. No flights with minimum rest. No change of flights once roster published. Have a PILOTS RESERVE list priority wise available on line for every one’s access. If one reserve Pilot refuses the flight other may be asked and no action against the first one. If all refuse to accept the flight then only punitive action is acceptable. Refusal by email only and Refusal by first reserve to be notified to the next pilot. 4. Removal of X X XXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXX, XXXX and XXXXXX from Scheduling staff immediately. 5. Removal of Mr. CEO. If CEO cannot be removed then you better keep him to yourself and ask him to stop interfering in Pilots life and do not try to be our Father. If CEO is so found of flying better get him a DGCA license. Tell him not to send us those use less mails strait from his heart which goes straight to the trash bin. 6. Provide us with better uniform and revert back to Blazer and also change the funny looking pilot applets. 7. No 3 day night outs max night out of 01 night. Tie up with better hotels especially in Bangalore and Chennai. All night out hotels to be within 10 to 15 minutes traveling time fron the hotel to give max rest to pilots. Not like Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata where one has to travel one hour one way. 8. Bring management pilots at par with line pilots as far as flying is concerned why do they fly less hours when CEO is running the entire show single handily then let the management pilots fly. Management pilots to do same night outs as any other line pilot. Also make their office at Airport rather then XXX where they sit and waste time. Let them be available to all line Pilots. 9. Treat all Ex Air force Pilots and other civil pilots with respect. CEO to apologize through email addressed to all for his misbehavior in past. Success is getting into his head but do not forget we have made you successful, you have not made us. 10. To give priority to original Blue CoPilots for upgrade. Any one joining from outside joins at the end of seniority list. 11. No more threatening behavior with Pilots, treat them with proper respect and dignity as professionals. Withdrawal of Notac XX and Admin Notice XX. Stop defining code of conduct. 12. No Mr. CEO lectures or any other management lectures during refresher. Make refresher more meaningful rather then a mere formality. No online test before refresher. You cannot expect pilots to fly at minimum rest and then attempt online test also .We are humans and not Computers which you can shut down after last flight and reboot after minimum rest. 13. Some X number of confirmed travel tickets on Blue flights without any ifs and buts. These are demands of all the pilots and if you have any doubt you can circulate it to every one and ask their views. If you want to earn more and more money we will help you fulfill your dream but not in a way so far you have been behaving with us. Try to actually win hearts of your employees and not by conducting surveys and declaring self proclaimed winners. Leave this cheapness and think of a better future. We are giving you dead line till end of this year or be ready for a surprise. All the demands have no scope of compromise and have to be fulfilled. Do not expect chain of emails between management and us. This is the zest(gist?). Rest you are intelligent enough. Pilots are Bonds.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 12:39:46 +0000
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