Cargolux

Please find below an update regarding:

• 100% compliance with your CWA
• Fatigue Alerts
• Social Security Payments – Part Time
• STBY replaced by FDP

100% compliance with your CWA
After the pretty intense start into the year with the delegation election scheduled on March 12^th, we are now back in negotiation mode.

On 14^th February 2019 we successfully started the conciliation process at the ONC, which elevated the whole negotiations to the next level. This and the great result of the delegation election, despite not final yet as they could be contested until 1^stApril 2019, is a clear signal towards management that changes in the new CWA are required.

Whereas this alone will not result in improvements, we highly recommend continuing to follow the published guidelines on “100% compliance with your CWA”, which you can download here, should you not have done so yet.

Don’t forget what we have been communicating already since May 2018:

• Don’t take things for granted! Just because we are seeing record profits and management struggling to attract and to retain enough pilots, it is not going to be easy to improve the CWA. We will have to fight!
• Expect tough and long negotiations!
• Be mentally prepared and stay united!
• The more effective we are as individuals and as a united group, the better the outcome will be of a sustainable CWA!
• Support your representatives and negotiation team, especially when they ask you to do so!
• Finally, if you are approached by management asking your thoughts on the CWA, just reply “My representatives have my full support to negotiate the listed claims”!

We do want to take this opportunity and thank you for your tremendous support and unity! Please continue with “100% compliance with your CWA” until further notice. 

Fatigue Alerts
The number of fatigue alerts that pilots are receiving have declined. In the FSAG it was agreed that delaying a flight solely based on the fatigue alert from the mathematical model, without input from the crew-member, may actually disrupt the pilots planned sleep pattern. It was therefore decided that the flight would only be delayed for additional rest at the express request of the affected crew-member.

A proposed new message from crew control to the affected pilot has been drafted which will ask that pilots to proactively advise if they wish additional rest after receiving a fatigue alert.

We were recently made aware about cases where pilots received a fatigue alert only a few hours before their wake-up call. This will be addressed at the next FSAG meeting. Please note that in these cases, even at this late stage, you can ask for more rest, should you think it is necessary.

We would like to remind every member that each pilot must understand the potential implications of accepting a flight that the mathematical model has flagged as a potential fatigue concern. Especially considering that the data collected in the flight safety department indicates that the mathematical model used by Cargolux underestimates the fatigue score, predominantly at the higher levels of fatigue.

It remains our position that 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

Social Security Payments – Part Time
Once a year around August, every employee receives a printout sent by mail from the “Centre Commun de la Securite Sociale”(CCSS) where the number of months is shown during which social security contributions have been paid by the individual.

Due to the fact, that we as pilots do not have normal working patterns, it happened that the pension contributions have been calculated and submitted wrongly in cases, where pilots where on “one roster off” permanent part time.

In such cases, the document from the administration shows only 11 months of pension contributions instead of the correct 12. Therefore, if you are on 1 or more rosters off permanent part time, we recommend checking the document which you have received from the CCSS and – if it shows or you think it shows the wrong information – get in contact with the payroll department.

Payroll department is already aware of the problem and they will submit the correct number of working hours to the CCSS, after you have sent the printout to them. You then should receive a new document with the correct amount of social security contributions from the CCSS.

STBY Duty replaced by FDP
There have been cases, where pilots on a STBY duty received a flight, which was scheduled to leave outside the time period of their STBY duty on the same day.

It is our position, that this kind of rostering is not endorsed and that, if the STBY duty is replaced by a FDP, the FDP must start within the original STBY duty period. Otherwise it is not possible to plan the rest in advance, which is a requirement according to the OM-A and the awake time would be too long.

EASA also guards against a combination of STBY and a FDP that would exceed 18 hours of wakefulness.

Please contact us, if you are encountering a situation like this.

Whilst this has been a busy start to 2019 as we engage with many items, we are pleased that the Peer Support Program (PSP) at Cargolux has been implemented ahead of the regulatory requirement of August 2020. As pilot representatives we initiated the process within Cargolux and have been involved from the beginning internally and at many external forums together with European Cockpit Association (ECA).

The PSP is there to support all crew members in case of any issues that may be perceived as stressful either from flight operations or personal issues.

One key element is that this program is independent of Cargolux operations where the support is activated solely by you through Stiftung Mayday. This ensure confidentiality when you require support, it is only one phone call away where you will be directed to a Peer either from one of six (6) Cargolux trained peers or someone independent from Cargolux altogether.

Over the past 12 months there has been regular communications outlining what PSP is and how it there to support you. In order to facilitate a better understanding a new folder in the Content Locker on our iPads has been opened (folder 23. Pilot Peer Support) with all relevant documents including FAQ’s that may assist you on how PSP works.

Please take the time to review this information and if you have any questions please contact safety@alpl.lu or Gunnar Steinhardt

If you require peer support, please call the Stiftung Mayday hotline so that your call is handled in a timely manner even if you wish to discuss with one of our internal Peers.

The initial result of the election has confirmed that pilots will hold 8 out of 16 seats in the Delegation.

The results communicated by the electoral office are as follows:

Your elected representatives are (8 effective Delegates and 8 substitute Delegates):

We would like to take the opportunity and thank all of you for casting your votes! It is encouraging for us to see how many of you went the extra mile to make sure that your ballot will be returned in time to be counted. The interest you showed and the support you gave us during the past weeks is certainly encouraging for us as your representatives. But most important is, that this result demonstrates once more, what we as a group can achieve when standing together.

The ALPL Board would like to take this opportunity and thank those colleagues who stepped forward and made themselves available as candidates.

The results of the election are not final yet, as the they can be contested until April 1^st, 2019. We will keep you advised about any future developments and will publish more information in the coming weeks.

Your voice will be heard!

Your ALPL Board fully understands the frustration of our members about the restrictions for leisure travel on board of our company aircrafts.

Although the issue was already discussed with management, shortly after they  informed us about this pending step, a short-term solution was not possible due to the official involvement of the DAC and their binding decision.

Just to make it clear from the regulatory point of view: the DAC, like any other authority, can place restrictions on any operator under its oversight. Regarding the transport of persons on board of aircraft carrying CAO, there seems to be a wide range how this is handled: ranging from a complete ban, which goes even beyond what the DAC placed on Cargolux, to a less restrictive approach, which we used to have.

Before engaging now in further discussions with the DAC and to continue discussions with management about an acceptable solution, reliable facts need to be collected and analysed. Simply acting on unverified statements if other operators are allowed to take passengers on their aircrafts without restrictions by their respective authority, is not a suitable approach to this topic. Like always, gathering of reliable facts and negotiating with the involved parties requires a lot of time and effort from our side and therefore cannot be done overnight.

Rest assured, we will address this important topic and keep you informed about any developments.

This short video clip explains how to mark the ballot and how to return your ballot in case you make use of postal voting for the Delegation Election on March 12th.

Click on the picture below to watch this video. If you feel it would be beneficial, you may also forward the link to the clip.

Should you have any question or concerns regarding postal voting, how to cast your votes, mark the ballot or return it, we urge you to  get in touch with us immediately at elections@alpl.lu or call our 24/7 hotline at +352 621 494 746.

Soon you should either receive your ballot for the Delegation Election by mail or you may pick up your ballot at Human Resources. With approximately 500 pilots of the 1.500 eligible voters it will be important, that you do whatever will be needed to make sure that you mark your ballot in time and moreover make sure that it will get back to Human Resources before the electoral office will close on March 12th. The result of the election in 2013 shows, that achieving a good result is possible, but this will require you going the extra mile.

In order to make sure, that your ballot will be received by March 12th, we ask you to strictly follow the recommendations and guidelines you have already received and the additional tailored recommendations we will provide via different channels, e.g. by postal mail sent to your home address. It will be important, that you mail back your ballot immediately after you have received it.

Important:
Regardless, if you did request to have your ballot sent to your home address or any other address, you may consider the following as of February 27th:

If you return from or leave on a rotation between 07.30 and 18.00 local time, Monday to Friday, you may go to Human Resources to cast your votes there. This is possible, even if your ballot has already been sent, as your roster may have changed or could be changed in a way, which would prevent you from returning your ballot before the electoral office will close on March 12th. By doing so you can guarantee that your votes will be counted. Additionally, the ALPL Office staff is available to assist you in mailing back your ballot. The ALPL Office will be open 24/7 between February 28th 09.00 and March 12th 18.00 local time, including Saturdays and Sundays.

Should you experience any problems please get in touch with us immediately at +352 621 494 746.

Click on the graphic below or here for a high-resolution flyer, showing how to cast your votes correctly and how to handle your ballot. A short video clip showing the same is available here.

We are pleased to report that on 14 February 2019 the first meeting at the Office National de Conciliation (ONC) took place.

After both parties presented their case, the ONC has acknowledged the impasse between the Unions and management. The ONC is now officially involved. What this means in practical terms is that both parties will schedule further negotiation meetings and to keep the ONC informed of the progress. The law foresees a minimum of 16 weeks of dialogue before either party could request a “non-conciliation”.

Perhaps management will from this point forward put all the required resources and effort into finding an agreeable solution for all issues and to achieve true social sustainability.

This is the second in a series of articles providing you with information about the election of staff delegation.

These elections will be important for you, as the outcome will directly impact your future working conditions, as the result of the delegation election will have a direct impact on the ongoing CWA negotiations!

The Delegation Election
Due to the increased number of employees, the next delegation at Cargolux will consist of 16 delegates and 16 substitute delegates, giving you a total of 32 votes to be casted in the upcoming delegation election.

Like, in the past we are pleased to announce that we will be able to present a list of 32 pilots as candidates on the LCGB list. This list will consist of experienced delegates and many new colleagues who are willing to represent your interest in the next five years. It is encouraging to see that some of our colleagues who joined Cargolux under the terms of what is often referred to as “B-Scale” are candidates. The list will be published in the near future.

Who should you vote?
Your ALPL Board strongly recommends that you cast all your 32 votes for the LCGB list as this is the most effective way to cast all your votes. This will also avoid that important votes are lost by not making use of all your 32 and helps to avoid errors when marking the ballot. Please follow this link to learn how to mark the ballot to avoid errors and that your votes will be void.

History has shown that each vote counts! The result of 2013, with more than 48% for the LCGB list, was excellent and made only possible by our members going the extra mile to cast their votes.

The outcome of the election will have a direct impact on the ongoing CWA negotiations, as the result of the election will be taken as an indicator how much the pilots want to see significant improvements in their terms and conditions. Only if we as pilots show unity and vote this will send a strong signal that changes in our working conditions are essential. We will certainly not act against any other employee group, as we know how this would affect the terms and conditions of our colleagues. However, the best option is to take our future in our own hands and not being dependent on anyone, who is not aware about the very specific needs of our profession.

How do I vote?
The delegation election will take place on March 12th, 2019. Due to the fact that changing schedules make it impossible for you to know if you will be able to vote in the electoral office in Luxembourg, as pilot you are entitled to cast your votes by postal voting. You can cast your votes by postal voting regardless if you would be on off, vacation, rest days or rest before off days, or away on a rotation, on standby or on reserve on election day. You are also entitled to cast your votes by postal voting if you would be on additional off- time due to your part-time contract. Simply put, as pilot you are permitted to vote by postal voting in any case!

The ALPL Board highly recommends that you register for postal voting. Details on how to register for postal voting, the different options how you may receive and return your ballot before the electoral office closes on March 12th, will be published soon. We kindly ask you to wait until this information and the additional information your ALPL board will provide, has been published to register for postal voting. This is expected for February 18th.

The message is clear: Make your voice heard and VOTE!

Each vote will count and will make a difference. This delegation will be important for you. If you want to see a change in your working conditions, it will be essential that you vote.

Please also take note of the Knowtam “Social Elections 2019”, the additional information available on here in the section Social Elections 2019, the information previously published and all future publications.

More information about how to request postal voting, how to receive and return your ballot, how to cast your votes by postal voting and your candidates will be published soon. Please stay tuned and remember:

Make your voice heard – Vote!