Virgin won't go all the way!

bagand96

Go figure.

Virgin are expanding and adding a whole new aircraft type to their fleet. And that is where the real story behind all this starts.

Or we can just go along with the tabloid "greedy pilots earning 110,000 a year refuse market beating 4% pay deal" which doesn't scratch the surface on the industrial relations issues in the company.

Nobjocki

bagand96 wrote: »

Virgin are expanding and adding a whole new aircraft type to their fleet. And that is where the real story behind all this starts.

Or we can just go along with the tabloid "greedy pilots earning 110,000 a year refuse market beating 4% pay deal" which doesn't scratch the surface on the industrial relations issues in the company.

The simple facts are this - Virgin management have offered a 4 per cent pay rise this year, another 3 per cent in 2012 and 3 per cent in 2013.

That's a guaranteed 10 percent pay rise for a group of already well-remunerated pilots who also have generous perks and free travel allowances.

I don't know what line of work you're in squire but I suspect most people on here would think that's a pretty reasonable pay offer considering the current economic climate.

bagand96

I don't know what line of work you're in squire but I suspect most people on here would think that's a pretty reasonable pay offer considering the current economic climate.

Granted, it is a reasonable (but not great when set aside RPI) pay deal based on the numbers alone.

However, any pay deal with any workforce will take in more variables than the numbers alone. And in Virgin Atlantic the other issues come in bucket loads. Its very easy to portray a well paid (far more than the national average) group of people as greedy when they turn down a pay offer. But they are not a stupid bunch of people, and I imagine the last thing they want to do is walk out the door. However sometimes enough is enough, and the ballot figures alone clearly demonstrate that somewhere along the line the relationship between Virgin and their plane drivers has gone off the rails.

I'm not defending them per se, but they do have a right to take their employer to task and if neccesary strike, and this isn't a case of a greedy militant union (BALPA are anything but).

One thing we do agree on, and I hope is the outcome, is that it won't get to people standing round oildrums at Heathrow and Gatwick.

mancini601

Looks like we could be at a stalemate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13924973

Afitos

Which Airlines would people recommend to Fly to Florida with Later in the year then ? We have been Virgin users for years put I do not want to risk losing my hard earned Holiday due to strikes.

We have flown First Choice Premium once But I cannot find these flight very easily for November. Any recommendations appreciated.

LillythePink

kelloggs36 wrote: »

When I booked our Virgin flights, we had researched and found that BA were a bit cheaper, but as they had the reputation of striking rather a lot recently, we decided that it was worth paying a bit more to ensure that we actually got our holiday and didn't get caught out in any strike. Doh! How ironic!

Whilst my sentiments were the same, I didn't say Doh! - it was more like Oh Fcuk!

kelloggs36

Lol Lilly, me too in reality!!!! They are apparently announcing the strike dates today, so fingers crossed we are not affected (and that means you too!)

robtruscott

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Lol Lilly, me too in reality!!!! They are apparently announcing the strike dates today, so fingers crossed we are not affected (and that means you too!)

i'm due to fly out next tuesday so am hoping that i will still be going, am not too fussed if they are on strike on the inbound, will get another night in vegas on virgins tab then :j:beer:

kelloggs36

that is what we thought - don't care if we are stuck out there, I'm sure we can find a hotel and some money (my mum wouldn't let us go without, bless her, if we got desperate). We are just desperate to get out there - we have saved hard for this holiday and paid lots of money, so we don't want to lose it. As a teacher, I can't go any other time than the school holidays, so it would be a real shame to have to wait until next year - although of course in the grand scheme of things - not the end of the world.