Below the report by your BeCA Vice-Presidents of the main events that happened in EAT/DHL since the first edition of 2016 of our Cockpit Flash.

Brussels based FOs upgrade finally secured

The last semester of 2016 was very tense for the EAT pilot representatives. As you may have been informed, on 1 July 2016, EAT management announced its unilateral decision to change previous agreements regarding upgrades of FOs based in BRU. As of this date, the Belgian union representatives started an intensive campaign, involving meetings with EAT Leipzig (LEJ) management and preparing for the worst case scenario.

During the Works Council of 5 September, EAT informed us that they would stick to their July decision. Following this, Belgian unions decided to give the management a strike notice looking for a constructive social dialogue to be resumed by management.

On 13 October, at the DPDHL European Works Council (EUWC) in Bonn, union representatives from the European WC expressed their full support to EAT BRU representatives’ standpoints.

Finally, on 23 November, the EAT management finally reviewed their July decision and committed to give each of the 29 BRU based FOs an upgrade on block roster with base LEJ (which was confirmed in an internal email to all EAT pilots on 14 December). The first six BRU based FOs will start their A300 upgrade in the coming weeks, with protection of their block roster schedule and Belgian contract conditions.

This is a “happy ending” example of collective bargaining and coordination between local and transcompany levels of representation. It also sheds light on several challenges and pending issues EAT pilots are facing.

A new more dynamic structure of social dialogue between LEJ and BRU has to be developed now, in order to involve BRU pilots into the discussions BEFORE decisions are made.
EAT BRU reps should be considered at same level as EAT LEJ reps by EAT management, because we, as long time loyal employees, can be part of the solution. We should not be seen as second-class employees.

And let us stress once again the importance of UNITY; unity among all pilots, LEJ and BRU based. Considering all the above, our first priority for 2017 will be to get a BRU CLA in order to clarify and protect our existing conditions. It is now time again to behave as one group and stop with disappointing ‘me, myself and I’ individual attitudes we sometimes saw in the past. This issue demonstrates the importance of BeCA’s and unions’ work. May we remind you that, for an optimal representation within her/his airline, each pilot should join BeCA and a union. Both memberships entitle you to different, but complementary, services.

Alain Vanalderweireldt, VP EAT/DHL

Alcohol and Drug Controls in German Airlines

Following the Germanwings A320 crash in 2015, Germany decided that a certain percentage of pilots flying for a German Airline should undergo a random Drug and Alcohol control in Germany every year.

This should become effective in April this year.

Although all stakeholders agree that pilots should never fly under influence, the way these controls will take place raises a number of questions. In this respect, and according to the new German law on this topic, every airline should have an agreement into place, either at company or collective level, that will frame how the controls take place, and what to do in case of positive results.

The way pilots will be controlled is a very hot topic. Different methods exist, like swab tests, breath/blood/hair analysis and some of the methods give false positives. Meaning, that although you have used a product that is totally legal and accepted, you might be tested positive on the use of drugs or alcohol. What happens next? How and when will you be retested? What will be tested? How will the results be used? etc.

All these questions show how sensitive the subject is and how important it is to frame it in a collective agreement.

Today, most airlines want to relay the subject in a company agreement, which would be less binding. German Unions like VC are fighting hard to get a Collective Agreement on this and defend the pilot community.

Vinciane Cabaret, BeCA/VC Representative