CAL Pilots allegedly WALK OUT

[DMan7]

Isn't it known by now that employees working for the government service is essential workers and doesn't matter where in the service you work? You can be a clerk in an office and you are still an essential worker once employed by the Government.

[AbstractPoetic]

I support the pilot's strike. They are to just accept a pay cut and show up for work, with no pushback? This resulting chaos is proof that the common man of society have more power than they know. Its to act on it.

[DMan7]

What I'd like to know is if they cannot strike because of being essential workers, then can the company in the future reduce their salaries again knowing that they cannot strike back?

[pugboy]

is the 20% cut a rumor or confirmed?

[Dizzy28]

Injunction filed and pilots back out to work.
PoS to MIA left on time this morning.

[sMASH]

What I'd like to know is if they cannot strike because of being essential workers, then can the company in the future reduce their salaries again knowing that they cannot strike back?

Oyyyy....
Let it settle down, let people buy back tickets, make back schedules and everybody eat a bad curry next week again.



If it up, it up. If it down, it down.
But u see dat up and down...
That will mash up the reputation and finances



And where they getting pilots... I mean cockpit crews to replace them....

[VexXx Dogg]

is the 20% cut a rumor or confirmed?

Wondering the same

[sMASH]

is the 20% cut a rumor or confirmed?

Wondering the same

Subscribed

[MaxPower]

is the 20% cut a rumor or confirmed?

Counter proposal by their VP HR

[unimatrix-001]

And where they getting pilots... I mean cockpit crews to replace them....

Dey cud burn cash and do some wet lease

[Dizzy28]

Sucks to be in Tobago and needing to come back

[eitech]

3hr ferry FTW.

[worksux101]

What I'd like to know is if they cannot strike because of being essential workers, then can the company in the future reduce their salaries again knowing that they cannot strike back?

Oyyyy....
Let it settle down, let people buy back tickets, make back schedules and everybody eat a bad curry next week again.



If it up, it up. If it down, it down.
But u see dat up and down...
That will mash up the reputation and finances



And where they getting pilots... I mean cockpit crews to replace them....

Exactly what those working for Mittal said.

[redmanjp]

Isn't it known by now that employees working for the government service is essential workers and doesn't matter where in the service you work? You can be a clerk in an office and you are still an essential worker once employed by the Government.

I don't think ALL govt workers essential. At least according to the Industrial Relations Act which considers essential services like Emergency/protective services (ttps, fire, etc.) Transportation, medical, utilities, teachers, oil and gas. But even in those services it may only be those involved in the actual operations are considered essential by law. Administrative staff may be exempt.

[Dizzy28]

Isn't it known by now that employees working for the government service is essential workers and doesn't matter where in the service you work? You can be a clerk in an office and you are still an essential worker once employed by the Government.

I don't think ALL govt workers essential. At least according to the Industrial Relations Act which considers essential services like Emergency/protective services (ttps, fire, etc.) Transportation, medical, utilities, teachers, oil and gas. But even in those services it may only be those involved in the actual operations are considered essential by law. Administrative staff may be exempt.

There are two schedules under the IRA. Aviation falls under Schedule I

[Dizzy28]

Gavin getting hit hard

THE CRY FOR SAFETY

ATTENTION Garvin Medera CEO & Roger Berkley VP of Human Resources Caribbean Airlines LTD

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my deep concerns and disappointment regarding your performance and leadership within Caribbean Airlines.

It is with regret that I must state that I have completely lost confidence in your ability to fulfill your duties effectively and to serve the best interests of the organization and its stakeholders.

You are misleading the Trinidadian population and festering with what can only be described as the MOST TOXIC and repulsive management regimes to have ever been charged with the running of the very prestigious state owned airline of Trinidad and Tobago ; our national pride that is Caribbean Airlines.

Our aviation culture has been renowned globally since the inception of BWIA as one of the highest standards of commercial air transport with particular emphasis on our impeccable SAFETY CULTURE.

Over the past years , I have observed a series of issues that have led me to this dismal conclusion. Allow me to outline the key reasons for my lack of confidence:

1. Lack of transparency: Your leadership style has been marked by a distinct lack of transparency and openness. Decisions are made without consultation or meaningful communication, leaving pilots feeling disconnected and undervalued. This approach undermines trust and hinders collaboration, ultimately impeding Caribbean Airlines' progress.

2. Poor decision making: The decisions made under your leadership have often been questionable and detrimental to the culture within this organisation.
You have attempted to remove pilots from using the jump-seat - an industrial standard across the world , a direct attack against what little is left of the job benefits of a pilot.

Critical matters are addressed without sufficient research or consideration of alternative perspectives , leading to very costly mistakes , missed opportunities and shattered careers :

You put the pilots on a 57% pay-cut for 10 months to avoid a termination exercise…the prime minister stated on the news that our pilots are Important and we can’t just find pilots on charlotte street….then you casually decided to illegally extend it for another 38 days , people have lost their homes , vehicles and families over this! You have shattered so many lives…

You then instrumented the retrenchment and termination of our pilots with complete DISREGARD for the collective agreement and basic understanding of LIFO. You also commenced this process the SAME month that the TRINIDAD borders reopened during the pandemic…When the whole world was hiring , CAL began to lay off pilots. Today the airline is in a dire state of cancelled flights and crew shortages due to this failure. IN FACT the day after your retrenchment exercise you began to count on crews coming out on their off days and vacation days to get the flights going because you did not get the numbers right by your trusted team of managers.

It is with great upset that you have terminated the most senior captains from the airline , aviators that have paved the way for the succession of our safety and standards over 30 years ; after which you mocked and ridiculed before trying to rehire them on reduced term contracts.

In the midst of this pilot shortage you are embarking on an airline expansion program and acquiring aircraft that you do not have adequate crew to utilize. YOU ARE MISLEADING MY GOVERNMENT and CITIZENS. THERE ARE PLANES ON THE GROUND WITH NO PILOTS TO FLY THEM. You are ABUSING the tax paying population of this twin island republic with your cell phone and chubby bottle tactics. You have also opened the door for foreign contract workers into the flight deck over local pilots!

Your team of managers are also guilty of union busting tactics , poor negotiation practice ,plain disregard and disgust for our professions. For the first time in the history of the organization there has been a petition to remove the VP of Human Resources ROGER BERKLEY….this has never happened in the HISTORY OF AVIATION IN TRINIDAD (1940-2023) he is special indeed.

It is evident that your decision making process lacks the necessary rigor and expertise required for effective leadership of an airline.

3. Failure to inspire and motivate : A leader should inspire and motivate their team, fostering a positive and productive work environment. However, your leadership style has been demotivating and uninspiring. Our loyal passengers complain about the limited service in the passenger cabin , lack of luxuries and amenities in the business class cabin has been the common narrative. Some describe the airline as the lowest standard Trinidad has seen in its flag carrier. YOU HAVE PINCHED PENNIES AND DEGRADED THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TO RECORD DEPTHS.

The lack of clear direction, coupled with inconsistent feedback and recognition has led to a decline in employee morale and overall performance with full support from
your team of “YES MEN.”

4. Inadequate Communication: Communication is the lifeblood of any organization, and unfortunately, your communication skills have proven to be inadequate. Important information is often withheld or shared in a haphazard manner, resulting in confusion and misalignment among team members. While the crew masked up and operated in the midst of the pandemic you stayed in the confines of your home and did not come to the office during this time. Some would say the airline did not have a CEO during this time. Your failure to communicate effectively has created a culture of uncertainty and hindered this airline's ability to achieve its goals. Nobody trusts you anymore.

Today your management team continues to bully and intimidate the flight attendants , you are singling out and penalizing flight attendants who attempt to report fatigue for duty out of sheer exhaustion and tiredness. You have awarded you and your band of managers lavish performance bonuses and recently you have been making a mockery of the pilots by using poor negotiation tactics to the point that you have effectively offered them a PAYCUT.

But you and your team wining on stage to Machel Montano (who has been paid in the millions) to the theme of WELCOME HOME…..a marketing strategy aimed to Trinidadian domestic travelers…welcoming them home? This is not a marketing company guys it is a safety sensitive international , world class airline with a reputation that you cannot even begin to live up to. The planes are pink and there is a rainbow on the tail , what is really going on here??

Since the start of your management regime there has been a massive exodus of professional airline pilots from CAL , some of our best pilots are leaving the airline at an alarming rate. We are at the point where pilots are refusing to advance their careers within the organization in fear of another illegal termination exercise by your career shattering team of managers. Soon the safety culture will be degraded to the ultimate low….

Given the gravity of these concerns and their impact on the organization, I believe it is necessary for you to consider stepping down from your position as CEO and the immediate resignation of your executive management of INCOMPETENCE. This would provide an opportunity for new leadership with fresh perspectives  and the ability to steer the airline back on track in hopes of restoring the safety culture of the flag carrier of Trinidad and Tobago.

Please be aware that this letter is not intended to be a personal attack but rather a reflection of the genuine concerns felt by many members of the pilots / engineers / flight attendants and the dedicated hard working employees of Caribbean Airlines.

It is my hope that you will reflect on these concerns and take the necessary actions in the best interest of Caribbean Airlines LTD.

Yours Sincerely

The hard working employees of CAL
WE ARE CARIBBEAN AIRLINES & WE CARE

[pugboy]

cellphone and chubby tactics ?

[maj. tom]

Wouldn't it have just been cheaper to give the pilots their due wages and some more? Wtf kind of maths these highly paid management ppl doing, plus their PR spin to make the public feel as if the pilots are the bad guys here? At the end of the day after all the losses and compensation, the reputation of the airline spoiled.


Gross mismanagement of airlines usually end up consequently causing incidents during a flight.

[greggle71]

The CEO’s contract has bonus incentives if the airline makes a profit.

I wonder if he felt by lowballing the pilots he could get the cost side down to show a positive balance sheet in his financials? it may end up biting him in the ass

At the end of the day you can replace a CEO but you can’t replace dozens of pilots

[redmanjp]

There are two schedules under the IRA. Aviation falls under Schedule I

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You could consider that as under transportation.

[redmanjp]

The CEO’s contract has bonus incentives if the airline makes a profit.

I wonder if he felt by lowballing the pilots he could get the cost side down to show a positive balance sheet in his financials? it may end up biting him in the ass

At the end of the day you can replace a CEO but you can’t replace dozens of pilots

Is that profit enough to make up for a whole year and a half of loss due to the pandemic border closure?

[K74T]

[teems1]

CAL pilots were paid a percentage of their salary during covid. Other pilots for large airlines were not.

That's the price you pay for working with CAL. You get paid less but have job security.

You can't complain your pilot friend working for some large airline makes 3x your salary, but not mention that they are subject to their hiring/firing/downsizing practices.

[pugboy]

nah some were furloughed

[Syberfraggle]

Yeh f#$k Machel... that's my takeaway from this.

[Numb3r4]

Any one knows if CAL flights are still being delayed?

[MaxPower]

Wait na,

All this over 10% pay increase?

That eh no kinda money.

[j.o.e]

Wait na,

All this over 10% pay increase?

That eh no kinda money.

I dunno what CAL pays pilots but 10% of big money might be substantial

[sMASH]

Wait na,

All this over 10% pay increase?

That eh no kinda money.

I dunno what CAL pays pilots but 10% of big money might be substantial

How much the management pulls in?

[Dizzy28]

Dunno the actual numbers but as a percentage it's too much so much so it was recommended to be looked at at CAL's JSC

Wait na,

All this over 10% pay increase?

That eh no kinda money.

I dunno what CAL pays pilots but 10% of big money might be substantial

How much the management pulls in?