Today, you can’t not know thatit’s strike dayat Air France. Although we would not blame you too much for having missed information, because between the notices which multiply at our national airline and the strikes of the French national railway company, it becomes complicated to be aware of everything.
Why this strike? Because the airlineis doing better (or less badly) than it was and the pilots (or at least some of them) want the airline to share with them the fruits of this newfound growth, in the form of a 6% pay rise. After all, when you’ve put in the effort to save the business, it’s more than fair to be rewarded when business is good again.
Doing better is not the same as doing well
The first question to ask is: “Is Air France really doing so well? The answer is simple: Air France is doing better but Air France is not doing well, or not well enough for our taste.
To simplify matters: let’s say that before Air France was going at 100 per hour and the competition at 120. Today, Air France is moving at 120 but the competition is moving at 160. So if you look at your navel, there’s plenty of reason to break out the champagne, but if you tell yourself that the performance can only be appreciated compared to the market, the gap continues to widen with the others, which has an impact on investment capacity and the ability to improve the product and renew the fleet.
So if there is no doubt that public opinion finds it legitimate that any effort – and there have been many – should be rewarded when it begins to bear fruit, it is more concerned about the level of reward when the patient is not yet cured and when amounts and arguments are evoked that are totally inaudible to it. As is often the case, what counts is often more the way things are asked and the image given by the approach.
Once upon a Time, in the Middle-East
Once upon a time in a hotel lounge in Dubai. Empty lounge, two occupied tables including ours, inevitably when we hear French spoken and pronounce certain words, our ears became curious.
After a short and amusing introduction to the details and management issues that already suggest that not everyone lives in the same world and that what may seem obvious in any business is not so obvious, the icing on the cake:
“Pffff…. It is becoming impossible to put some money aside…
– Who do you tell… Without a little bonus from time to time we can’t do it anymore.
– And then with the hours we work, we have no time for anything! In summer I mow, in winter I paint and that’s it”.
So, let’s give credit where credit is due: with downsizing (and we have checked) more and more Air France pilots are flying at the limit of the legal maximum allowed, which means significantly more than before. It’s mechanical: when there are far fewer pilots, they fly far more. But from there to call it a scandal…
This is just catching up with the most productive airlines. Like going to a 33 hour work week when the legal maximum is 35 and you were used to 27. It hurts but your not to be pitied either.
A discussion over a cup of coffee the next day with an Emirates A380 pilot confirmed that for themthe rule was 2 long-haul round trips per week and that he found this totally normal at their salary level.
Tp the gardenering paintters union
At first we were amused. Then by talking about it around us and even with other pilots of the airline we realized how muchthe words shockedand seemed contemptuous. In the end it’s true, everyone would like to have a beautiful house and only have to mow and paint in their spare time. Everyone would certainly have some lessons to give on how to save money even when you don’t have that level of salary. And even in the profession many think that a little humility in relation to the general public and customers would be welcome. In short, it is not accepted by the public and even by part of the profession. The posture of the victim does not work well.
In short, after much reflection, we wanted to illustrate the gap that exists between certain members of this eminent brotherhood and the ordinary people.
This post is dedicated, on the contrary, to all those, very numerous and never talked about, who are aware of the luck they have, of the fragility of the airline and who continue to make efforts(1).
With our regards to the union of gardening painters.
Photo Credit : Fotolia
(1) According to the airline’s figures, only 36% of pilots are on strike today.
