Flybe pilots challenge airline bosses
Flybe is facing dissent among its 700 pilots just a week before it begins a stock market flotation to raise £60m.
The British Airline Pilots Association is accusing the airline of ignoring a pay claim submitted in February and of failing to address pilots’ concerns about their pensions and working patterns.
It claims the airline, which is 15% owned by British Airways, is putting all of its resources into the planned flotation which will begin on December 14. It says it told the airline more than a year ago of its concerns about the ‘inefficiency of working patterns’ but nothing has changed.
BALPA head of industrial relations Reg Allen said: "Flybe appears to have put all of its resources into its flotation via an IPO and that says much about the regard in which it holds its pilots.
"I would remind Flybe that its pilots have helped the company through difficult times, especially by deferring their 2009/2010 pay claim, and they are now resolved that the next settlement will give them a fair deal.
"The 700 pilots we represent have made it quite clear they want a decent settlement this time, and the company would be ill-advised to have its eye only on the float. And those thinking of investing will want to know that Flybe management is alive to these pilot demands."
Flybe insisted it was discussing a number of issues with BALPA durig structured negotiations. "This is a normal process which takes place every one or two years dependent on the length of the negotiated deal," said a spokesman.
"Flybe has a good record of industrial relations and is one of the few airlines to have avoided redundancy in the recent recession and one of the few to have continued pilot recruitment.
"Further discussions are being scheduled with BALPA which we hope will progress matters further.
More than a third of Flybe’s employees are shareholders in the airline. The spokesman added: "As the IPO will lead to the one third of our employees realising value in the company and will lead to all employees having the chance to become shareholders we are surprised that Reg Allen has chosen to raise issues in this way."
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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