Company Contracts

They say there is a tremendous Pilot Shortage, more so of Experienced Pilots. If that is so then the pilots should be in a strong wicket when it comes to signing of their contract with the airlines. but it is not so.

We pilots in general, barring few, are more the heady dreamy types more enamoured by the flamboyancy of our jobs that we fail to look at the small prints we are made to sign in the heavily lopsided , onesided contracts that are prepared by the company executives who are probably specialists in their job to keep only the company's interests at heart.

They can throw you out giving 1 month notice or pay in lieu of but YOU cant till you give 6 month notice.

Even then, Their loftinesses may or may not accept your resignatiopn and it is upto them.

What pay, emoluments they with hold is entirely their prerogative.

They are at liberty to retain all the deposits that you have kept but you cant get any compensation in lieu.

They can send you wherever they want

They can withhold your leave.

In short one is more a slave than an employee.

The whole bunch of contracts I have seen from many pilots are so one sided , I wonder whether it is legal.... I remember reading somewhere in the annals of the legal Tomes that " A contract to be valid , it should impose EQUALconditions on both the parties"

I wonder whether any Legal Luminary is reading this post, who can shed some light on this aspect.

At the moment in my opinion, unwittingly most of the pilots, in their eagerness to get on the bandwagon are blindly signing their contracts.

The company HRD has the full backing of the lawyers behind him(whose family vacation packages are assured, no doubt) when he produces the contract foir the poor pilot to sign.

But the poor sod has no one but himself to go through the imposing 8 to 10 page contract which he might may be glance in passing before signing it since his eyes are so deeply engrossed in the pretty picture of the sleek two engined beauty on the wall.

I always felt exploitation of a living being is the worst kind of Sin.

Very very true!
Thesedays its more like being a slave.....
those tiny tits-bits written in small fonts....
can be very demanding!

Sometimes i sit with a magnifying glass to see whats written....

Too many points to consider.

- Despite the media hype generated with regards to pilot shortages, the number one concern still elicited by trainees and employable pilots is the impending downturn in the aviation boom. I have heard every captain I have flown save for one who has recommended me to pound out the hours ASAP so as to keep my head above water once this little bubble bursts. So take whatever you can get cos you don't know when the doors will shut.

- We spend almost more than 18 months, a significant portion within the confines of four walls training to get that CPL. These guys and gals get to a point where they get very impatient and can't think clearly when that offer letter is given to them. The elation gives way to foresight which very soon becomes hindsight by when it's too late. The exploitation of the passion and love of flying is done by airlines the world over.

- The competition IS heating up. CPL holders are lining up in airline offices and more will keep adding up as the months go by. I have seldom been on a flight where my cabin crew or a passenger has not enquired about the process and prospects for a CPL holder. People are aware of this and feel the heat come crunchtime.

- Empirically contracts between individuals and employers are generally in favour of the employers unless strong unions are involved which is not the case in most airlines. A corporation as a collective is almost always stronger than an individual in these matters giving the former an advantage in negotiations. This underlines the dire need for a pilot union/association to strengthen the bargaining position of pilots. Even then employers have the upper hand. Case in point the recent bankruptcies in the States where massive concessions were squeezed out from the unionised employees.

My personal experience was not so pleasant. I questioned my airlines policy of taking UNDATED cheques as opposed to post dated ones. Two people... one from flight ops and the other from HR were standing in front of me. The HR guy shrugged his shoulders and the flight ops lady gave me a look implying if you don't like what you see don't let the door hit you on the way out. The rest of my batch mates turtled leaving me standing all alone. C'est la vie.

Thank you tailwind for calling a spade a spade.

The malady is known but the answer to the problem is the elusive one.

An union will definitely take some of the harshness away. But there can be ways and means probably that can be explored. Circumvention, indirect approach etc could well be the key in all walks of life/companies.

http://www.swiponline.com/aboutus.htm

Quote :

Very very true!
Thesedays its more like being a slave.....
those tiny tits-bits written in small fonts....
can be very demanding!

Sometimes i sit with a magnifying glass to see whats written....

You got a job already dear?!!

Quote :

You got a job already dear?!!

No Sir!

But have read a few company contracts....