Pilot Unity, at EAT too!

The transnational coordination “DHL Pilot Alliance” (DPG), created in 2015 by BALPA (DHL UK), BeCA (EAT BRU/LEJ) and Vereinigung Cockpit (EAT LEJ) was reactivated in 2018 in order to allow all pilot groups directly employed by DHL in Europe to keep on sharing information between Company Councils. The aim is to ensure we are always able to (re)act having all information in hand. In other words, limit the “Divide and rule”.

This revitalization finds its roots in the uncertainty of the future of the B757 fleet (jointly operated by EAT and DHL UK), but also in the successful transnational coordination for Ryanair, through the Ryanair Transnational Pilot Group (RTPG).

The new technological tools (e.g. videoconferences, Slack, Whatsapp groups) allow for an efficient remote collaborative work. Thanks to these, representatives of the 4000 Ryanair pilots, members of the RTPG successfully created and developed “Ryanair Pilot Unity” throughout Europe.

The idea is to progressively put in place a similar permanent structure for the 600 pilots directly employed by DHL Express, with the same motto “Think global, act local”. Although national social legislations are different, DHL pilots’ realities are very often the same and they work for the common employer DPDHL.

EAT Leipzig: three contracts, one single AOC

Since 2012, BeCA and VC have been collaborating through a memorandum of understanding which gives BeCA members based in LEJ double BeCA/VC membership. As all BeCA members fly on aircraft registered in Germany (and often from/to German airports), the integration VC’s accident/incident support into BeCA hotline was a must. Moreover, all LEJ based pilots fall under German labour law and should therefore be defended in Germany in case of legal issue.

About the 250 pilots based in LEJ, EAT management granted their representation exclusively to ver.di representatives, a powerful general union with permanent delegates within the DPDHL Bonn headquarters.

The coexistence and collaboration between these two unions in LEJ is rather complicated. But without unity of all groups of representatives, Pilot Unity risks becoming an empty shell. BeCA will call for putting aside conflicts between both organisations in order to serve the interests of all EAT/DHL pilots.

A first step was the meeting between the representatives of all bases and all unions that took place on 29 January in LEJ, aimed at working on concrete files. Because, beyond conflicts and structural differences, the cooperation between all DHL pilots’ representatives must be guided by the interests of all pilots. It’s an essential, concrete and long-term work that has just started…

Alain Vanalderweireldt, VP EAT/DHL