Dirk Becker No Comments

Publication of second round of vacation bidding for First Officers

We have been informed by Flight Operations Management that the second round of vacation bidding for First Officers will not be ready for publication to meet the deadline on 16 November 2019. This is mainly due to sickness within the crew planning department and consequently the handover of this task to another planner not having the same level of experience.

To avoid a rushed and potential erroneous scheduling of vacation periods for First Officers we agreed to delay the publication for a few days until next week. The publication of the second round for Captains is not affected.

As a consequence the bidding deadline for VOFF days will also be delayed to allow sufficient time for these requests.

A separate communication has been published by Flight Operations Management.

Michael Kaiser No Comments

Members Update on Transition Roster Period 13+

With the newly signed CWA 2020-2022, a new off-days scheme including the switch from 13 roster periods to 12 monthly roster periods will be introduced. To cover the transition, Cargolux and the Staff Delegation agreed to the following:

  1. Roster period 13 will be extended by 10 days, covering the time between 24 November 2019 and 31 December 2019.
  1. The off-day entitlement for each pilot will be amended as follows:
    • 8 consecutive off-days (CODays) and
    • 5 consecutive floating off-days (FODays).
  1. The roster period overtime thresholds will be amended as follows:
    • Overtime will be paid for every duty hour worked above 225 duty hours during the period between 24 November 2019 and 31 December 2019.
    • Overtime will be paid for every block hour worked above 95 block hours during the period between 24 November 2019 and 31 December 2019.
  1. Additional “XPA-Days” will be allocated to pilots on 11% and 21,2% part time schemes, amounting to pro-rated 0,7 days and 1,4 days respectively. Pilots will be given 2 options to choose from:
    • The days can be paid out at a rate of 8 hours per full day respectively pro-rated, or
    • 1 additional “XPA-Day” (11% scheme) respectively 2 additional “XPA-Days” (21,2% scheme) will be allocated in one of the first 3 roster periods in 2020. 

Please click here to read the agreement that was signed by Cargolux Airlines International S.A. and the Staff Delegation of Cargolux International S.A.

We have been informed that Flight Ops Management together with Crew Planning are presently looking into ways if and how the PBS could be adapted covering the transition in roster period 13+.

Michael Kaiser No Comments

Members Update – October 2019

Please find below an update regarding:

  • Rostering and Fatigue
  • Hotels
  • Changes within the Divisional Board
  • New colleagues
  • 100% compliance with your CWA

Rostering and Fatigue
Many of you certainly do experience the effects of the disruptive rostering which has not decreased since a long time. With the high season in 2019 approaching and potentially not having enough crews to cover the flights, the impact on fatigue could cause additional delays due to the requirement for you as crew to have additional recovery time.

We want to reiterate that – according to EASA ORO.FTL.110 – it is the initial responsibility of the operator to manage and mitigate fatigue. It is in the first place the responsibility of the operator to schedule flights already in the planning stage so that rosters are sufficiently free from fatigue. A transfer of this obligation to the respective pilots to decide whether or not they would be able to operate a specific flight cannot be seen as a relief from the principle obligation of an operator.

Fatigue alerts that you receive from crew control are based on a mathematical model and trigger when the calculated alertness level exceed a predefined score. In fact, the actual alertness level could be higher or lower, depending on the real condition of the individual.

Furthermore, please understand that the mathematical model is purely binary and works with threshold values. Therefore, increasing the rest by just a few minutes might get rid of any previous fatigue-warning, but might by far not be sufficient to address the underlying problem.

In case you receive a fatigue alert, we strongly suggest applying a very high and professional standard determining your capability to safely operate any subsequent flight. Please remember that you possibly might face a situation where you have to justify your decisions.

As we have indicated in the past, maintaining a sleep log will assist you in making the professional decision. Also, do not forget to file a proactive Fatigue Report when asking for additional rest.

Please click here for additional guidance on how to write a proactive Fatigue Report. If you need further assistance don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via cvboard@alpl.lu.

Furthermore, it is according to OM-A Chapter 11, Section 2 mandatory to submit an ASR if the fatigue you experienced impacted or could have potentially impacted your ability to perform your flight duties safely. 

Hotels
Based on feedback that we receive from our members, there seems to be a trend developing that hotel rooms are either not fulfilling the standards mentioned in the hotel policy or are not booked for pilots when they show up. To facilitate the work of the hotel committee and to collect evidence we kindly ask you to file a Voyage Report (VR) anytime you find yourself in the same or similar situation and to send a copy of the report to cvhotels@alpl.lu. Thanks for your cooperation!

Changes within the Divisional Board
It is with regret that one of our fellow Board Members and Substitute Delegates of the Delegation, Olle van Zweden, has decided to resign from Cargolux for private reasons and to start a new career with a company that will enable him to better combine his professional and family life. Since his start with Cargolux in 2016, Olle has always been keen in getting involved in representative work to improve the terms and conditions of Cargolux pilots. His input and ideas helped us greatly during the last negotiations. On behalf of our members we wish him all the best for his future endeavor.

New colleagues
Along with the newly signed CWA, Cargolux is currently looking to employ further fellow pilot colleagues. We as Pilot Representatives are actively supporting Cargolux in spreading the word of open First Officer positions as the new terms and conditions in the new CWA ultimately require Cargolux to hire a significant number of additional pilots.

Therefore, we kindly ask you as a member to help us in doing so. Please reach out to possible candidates and do mention our new and improved CWA along with its contents. Amongst many items, the amended off-day scheme as for the consideration of previous experience makes this package a lot more appealing than it used to be. Remember, only if the crew factor is increased significantly the company will be in the position to fulfill their obligations that came along with the newly, improved conditions. 

As the passenger aviation market is rather ruff these days, we might be able to assist in hiring some colleagues that have maybe not heard of or considered cargo operation along with Cargolux.

At the same time, we ask you not to publish the entire CWA document in the internet. The CWA is a sensitive document which is part of the individual work contract and outlines the employment relation between the employee – you – and the company and as such shouldn’t be publicly disclosed.

100% compliance with your CWA
During the CWA negotiations, we asked you to follow the principals of the “100% compliance with your CWA” campaign. By withdrawing the flexibility and strictly following the CWA we made clear to management how much they got used to our extra effort and dedication in the past when all of us have frequently gone the so called “extra mile” and provided Cargolux with our service above and beyond what was agreed in the CWA.

Now, after having signed a new CWA, which will address the concerns our members have identified in recent years, we ask you to use your own judgement if you have to decide whether or not to go this “extra mile” again. Having said so, it should be understood by all parties that any contract should be honored at all times and waiving contractual rights should be the exception rather than the norm!

As we know, there will be multiple situations in the upcoming high season and beyond where you could make quite a difference by being “extra motivated”. It always has been the strength of Cargolux and its employees to make the most out of given opportunities.

We thank you for the tremendous support that you have shown and hope for a prosperous final sprint!

Michael Kaiser No Comments

Members Update on Part Time

As the new CWA is signed, the company is now in the phase of implementing the new agreed text. Switching from 13 to 12-roster periods involves several changes.

The first proposal of the adjusted part time schemes from the company was based on an erroneous calculation. After consulting along with the CPO and Payroll Department, the schemes were correctly recalculated, based on the same principals as the once applied on the original version when these schemes were initially introduced in 2016.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the ALPL Board at cvboard@alpl.lu.

Michael Kaiser No Comments

Members Update – August 2019

Please find below an update regarding:

  • Vacation Bidding 2020
  • Security
  • Vacation Pay (CWA 12.1.5)
  • Part-Time Schemes
  • 2nd Ratification Process

Vacation Bidding 2020
On 21 August 2019 Crew Planning Department released the documentation for the 2020 “Two Step Vacation Bidding System”. The documentation was produced in participation with the delegation and contains in principle the same key data as in the last years, except some changes, which we would like to highlight to you:

  • Due to the transition to a new Off-Day scheme in our new CWA, the Off-Day identifiers had to be changed in order to be in line with the CWA.
  • In the “Combining Vacation with Off Days”paragraph, the addition “…where required” was added, in order to enable the pilots with the possibility to limit the “combining vacation with off days” requests more to their individual needs.
  • Due to the delayed closing of the CWA negotiations, the deadlines for the 2020 vacation bidding system were shifted by 15 days. The first-round bidding deadline will be on 15th September 2019.

The “Two Step Vacation Bidding System” improved the vacation distribution amongst the pilot community in the last couple of years. In order to maintain the status of a fair and transparent system, the process and conditions has to be understood and properly applied. If there are any questions regarding the documentation, bidding and allocation of vacation days, please do not hesitate to contact cvboard@alpl.lu for further guidance.

Security
There are two items regarding security we would like to bring to your attention:

First, some of our destinations are in countries with certain risks and all are assessed by the Cargolux Corporate Security Department which determines the suitability of layovers. These risks are further mitigated that crew transport is arranged. The hotels are checked also by the Security Department and members of the ALPL Hotel Committee to ensure all possible security measures are in place.

Those higher risk destinations are well known to all of us and thankfully not many incidents occur. Unfortunately, we do have incidents of crews being assaulted and we would like to make you aware to be on alert at these known destinations. You should always remain vigilant in public places, tourist areas and major cities elsewhere.

Cargolux’s Corporate Security has a dedicated Intranet page that has up to date information and please also refer to the monthly station and alternate stations threat assessment list. Furthermore, there is an International SOS Application that can be downloaded on your Phones or iPad that is continuously updated. Please follow the instructions (with the applicable password) on the Intranet to install it and obtain access.

Secondly, speaking of access, the requirements by all National Security Authorities to have updated security access is becoming more complex. More in-depth background checks are required, and this takes time. Please ensure you submit the requested documents for Airport ID application or renewal to the Corporate Security Department as soon as possible. Usually this will have to be done 6 months before the expiration date. If you do not provide the requested documents your colleagues at Security will have findings from the authorities.

Vacation Pay (CWA 12.1.5)
One of our members, who recently was on parental leave, noticed that the vacation-supplement actually paid out was rather low compared to previous payments. He took up the issue with payroll for further investigation and found out that an actual error in SAP had led to a calculation-mistake. In the meanwhile, the formula used has been corrected and will undergo further testing. Upon conclusion of this testing-phase the Company will approach all employees affected and retroactively reimburse the outstanding payments. We recommend to check whether your payments were correct in case you have also been on parental leave.

Thanks again to our colleague and member who discovered the issue and kept us in the loop.

Part-Time Schemes
As announced previously and in order to align existing contracts with the new monthly roster-scheme, management has sent out new offers for those colleagues who are presently on a part-time contract. We advise those of you who received this offer not to sign anything until we had a chance to check if payroll´s calculations are correct. As soon as we have all the details, we will come back with recommendations on how to proceed.

2nd Ratification Process
From 30 July 2019 until 2 August 2019 the second ratification process for the amended CWA package took place. 96% of our members voted and 64% accepted the package. The feedback that we received from those 36% rejectingthe offer can be summarized as follows:

These comments clearly imply a high level of mistrust towards management regarding the implementation of the CWA, in particular concerning the topics mentioned above. We will stay vigilant that the new CWA is implemented as intended and are confident that a correct application of the CWA will regain some of the trust lost and enable a productive cooperation within the company.