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Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have given considerable thought before deciding to run for a third term as your President. My initial plan was for 2 years only but I sincerely believe that the objectives of our Association are best served by me continuing in Office. I have taken counsel from all quarters and I believe that stability in the leadership of our union is critical to the successful conclusion of this dispute.
I do not intend to discuss all of the various familiar issues but I must restate my commitment to resolving the problems we have with Rostering, Remuneration, Benefits and, most importantly, The 49ers.
Rostering is an issue that will have to be resolved before the year’s end. Despite management’s desire to understate the scale of the imminent expansion, it is obvious that the next three to five years are going to be challenging ones indeed. If ever there was a time to ‘get Rostering right’ it is now. Contract Compliance is in place, the legal processes are underway and, with the arrival or return of at least ten aircraft by the end of the year, I think management have a real and profound problem. Watch closely as the summer season evolves and you will see what I mean.
Remuneration is an issue that affects each person differently. For too long, management have used this area as a way to divide employee groups and to introduce lower value packages. We were ill prepared in 1993 for this global trend amongst airline managements. We now understand how management undermine each successive scale with a new “benchmark” scale, which in turn becomes undermined. Clearly we must resist further degradation and restore our package to ‘career’ status. I have not yet heard a convincing argument for accepting an inferior career package when our company is profitable and far from “fighting for survival”.
Benefits are everyone’s concern. Clearly, management’s aim is to further reduce our overall package. We must ensure that essential benefits remain contractually binding.
Management Strategy. Each of these three fundamental issues has been extensively negotiated since you first elected me as your President. Management stopped these negotiations because it was always their objective to extract more money from the pilots to help pay for the expansion. They took expensive advice on how to achieve this. It is no coincidence that you recognise management’s strategy in at least half a dozen other disputes somewhere in the world today – particularly within the oneworld™ alliance of airlines. Each union has had to deal with these attacks, some successfully, some not. It has always been your General Committee’s and my intent to execute the smartest strategy rather than the boldest. We have taken timely and astute advice and this has served us well. We have weathered the toughest conditions that a dispute could possibly throw at us. We are through the tough times and now we must continue to play it smart and “finish the job”.
A more in-depth explanation of the long-term issues remains in my original Manifesto 2000, at http://www.vortices.com/nigel.
The Contract. Before we can meaningfully focus on those issues, there is a more immediate obstacle. Without the amendment of Clause 35.3 (Termination due to loss of confidence), and without a stringent and fair Disciplinary and Grievance Procedure, what you have is a three-month contract – just ask a 49er. There is no point in reaching agreement on salary scales, housing and provident funds for example, unless we first deal with the critical issue of employment security. We have no career unless the contract provides for a fair and reasonable level of employment security.
Consequently, I am fully committed to the reinstatement of The 49ers as my prime objective. This is the first step in protecting your job and ensuring that you have a career in our airline.
Appeasement. I know that long-term industrial fatigue has affected our Membership and I know that some now advocate an appeasement strategy. History has shown us that, in such situations, appeasement is not a good strategy. I have been fortunate to discuss our situation with some of the sharpest and most experienced industrial thinkers at two recent conferences of the Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition and IFALPA. In all the counsel and advice I have sought from our colleagues, whether successful or not in their own situations, appeasement consistently proves to be an invitation for management to continue their attack. We are about to expand, the legal cases are imminent, we’ve resisted a committed union-bust, we’ve endured the post-9/11 hardship and now it is time to capitalise on our hard work - not undo it.
With that said, I urge you to reserve your vote until you have heard all the arguments and you understand the direction that each candidate offers. Your vote is critical because the outcome of this election will send a clear message to management.
The Future. The outlook is positive - the worst is behind us. Our strategy has allowed us to deny management’s union-bust. They, not us, face a difficult predicament; either continue with the union-bust or expand, but not both because there is still plenty of fight left in the membership of this union.
Commonsense will inevitably prevail and, when the time is right, make no mistake, this dispute will be resolved like any other – by sensible negotiations in good faith. We must then rehabilitate our company so we can work together during the coming expansion.
In conclusion, it has been a difficult and stressful time for us all. We have survived the worst and it is time to finish what we began. Conditions improve in our favour by the day. It is now time for us to protect our careers and the future of our company. At this late stage, a change in course, purely for the sake of change, would result in a continuing future of fear and uncertainty.
It has been an honour and an education to be your President. I remain as committed as ever to a sensible resolution. I intend to finish the job we started and for that reason I ask for your vote. I will continue my Presidency on the same principles of consistency, transparency, experience and integrity. I hope that I can count on your support at the ballot box.
Yours sincerely,
Nigel Demery
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to question me further as to why I am standing for HKAOA President.
Mailbox 674 - election@vortices.com - 2328-2546
These points are amplified in the
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