Do as I say!!!

SAS management: “Do as I say”
Pilot: “I can not fly under such pressure”
SAS management: “Then it is your fault that third parties suffers”

It’s back to normal. Well, not quite normal. Last week the SAS management announced that it was going to break our work agreement.

Two years ago we went through though negotiations. We dramatically reduced most of our rights and our salaries. There was one thing we wanted in return; the right to remain under the same employer – SAS. Now, suddenly, SAS decided to break the deal. They want to split us up in four companies, each one of us is to sign deals with local management. In return SAS will give us – nothing! So, they try to keep what they gained – and take back what they gave.
All this is done two months before our agreement ends and while we are still obligated by our agreements to keep the “peace”.

The idea behind all of this is of course that SAS want us all to compete against each other. Can you imagine such a situation? SAS keeps all the production means and we have to compete against each other to get the production. It will certainly be a race against the bottom for all of us.

Anyway, this action led to spontaneous rebels amongst us pilots. This was the last stone added upon us. We have for several years been harassed by our management, and have one of the worst working environments in Scandinavia. Many pilots could not safely enter the cockpit anymore because of the pressure from above and called in sick. The traffic in Norway and Denmark closed down. As usually happens with us pilots we got all the blame in the media. Trying to say that it was all due to a management that constantly breaks and tries to dictate our agreements did not get through.

This was last Tuesday. Pilots are slowly returning to work and the media and public opinion are slowly turning our way. They realize that this is actually provoked by SAS management. A simple word from them that they will stick to our common agreement is all it takes to end this conflict.

Next week there are new meetings between the union and the management. I fear that if the management does not turn before then, we shall see a total shutdown of all the traffic in SAS.

We will not give in on this!!!