Please find below an update regarding:
- Memorandum of Understanding “Late Arrival before a Vacation Period”
- Appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations
Memorandum of Understanding “Late Arrival before a Vacation Period”
In the new CWA 2020-2022, Art. 36.17.1 Vacation – General Rules was negotiated with the aim to protect any vacation period and to ensure that a pilot is scheduled to arrive at Home Base in due time before a vacation period commences. It was also clarified when the compensation for late arrival at Home Base before a vacation period as per aforementioned article of the CWA should be applicable.
In recent months however, we have seen cases where the application of this article was not always clear and different interpretations were possible, especially when off days were sold. Hence, it became necessary to find an agreement to add more clarity and transparency and to highlight the original spirit of Art. 36.17.1.
Please click here to read the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that became effective with the signature date on 05 May 2021.
We are glad that there is a mutual understanding that pilots in general shall not work on vacation days and shall be scheduled to arrive back at Home Base as foreseen in Art. 36.17.1. of the CWA. Please note, neither the Luxembourgish labor law nor the CWA foresee the selling of vacation days.
In general, vacation days are precious for every pilot as these are allocated strictly according to seniority, and available slots – especially in the holiday season – are limited. Moreover, in the last CWA negotiations we managed to regain the lost vacation days from the “B-scale” and selling vacation days might not improve our position with regard to the next CWA negotiations. Therefore, we ask everyone to be mindful and to refrain from selling any vacation days.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at cvboard@alpl.lu if you have questions or need assistance.
Appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations
The COVID-19 vaccination campaign is slowly gaining pace and some of our colleagues already received their first dose. Whereas it should be possible to flexibly book an appointment for the first vaccination, it turned out that at least in Luxembourg the date for receiving the second dose is fixed. Thus, during that period it could be a challenge for both, pilots and crew control, to make vaccinations possible, which could evidently lead to some roster disruptions in the coming weeks and months.
Generally, when it comes to appointments for the vaccinations, solutions should be found, which are acceptable to both sides. Please send an email to cvboard@alpl.lu, if you require any assistance in this respect.
As per the OHS update sent on 3 May 2021, pilots are requested to schedule their appointments during their off – or vacation days to have a 48-hour period before the next flight. This however might not always be possible as the availability of slots may be limited. In such cases, please make sure to inform your Aeromedical Examiner or practitioner of the 48-hour requirement as per EASA SIB No.: 2021-06 and if necessary, obtain a sick note.
In the last Joint Delegation Meeting with Senior Management, we mentioned the disadvantaged treatment of pilots within the company in context with the requirement to schedule the appointments during off-time. Other employee groups are not subject to any restrictions on vaccinations during or before their working hours. In these cases, any incapacity for work due to side effects of the vaccination would be covered by sick leave during working hours, whereas pilots would have to carry the risk of being sick during their off days.
Thus, we asked for a compensation day to account for this, which unfortunately was rejected by Senior Management!
