Company Interest

There is no doubt that the management have a very real interest in which individual is the AOA President. Here is an encouraging email, including my reply, to Nick Rhodes, our General Manager Aircrew,

Best regards - Nigel Demery

> Just heard the news that are you are standing for the AOA presidency. May I wish you the very best of luck and if you come out on top I will look forward to working with you. I think we have a common understanding of areas that need addressing.

Thanks for your wishes but it's not an "on top" thing, it's more about choice and democracy. I'm sure that, whether you're dealing with Ted or me, it'll be "business as usual".

>However I notice from your paper (or "mainfesto") that you believe the CoS for "B" scale crew to be inadequate and that it needs urgent rectification. I also note with concern that you believe "militancy" is often required to apply pressure. Clearly we are in disagreement over both these points!

I don't think we disagree that much really. Certainly my experience last year was that management were "aggressively active" in applying pressure on the pilots to sign a new contract ;-)

> My immediate question (and you'll have to try to put yourself in my shoes here!) is whether you still consider it appropriate to print your letter in the next Crews News. The letter does state that "B" scale packages are below market rates and we have the recipe for conflict. It goes on to suggest that it may be time to change the ingredients. This does seem consistent with your election platform and it will get an appropriately punchy response!

I recognised that you have the "final say" when I wrote the letter some months ago, so please go ahead and respond as you see fit.

The guys will read what you say very carefully. From memory, I think I actually said that the scale for post-93 joiners is below market rates, whereas I had come to the reluctant conclusion that I was now on the market salary "B Scale".

>What do you think we should do? I don't want to fall out over this but I really don't think Crews News should be a medium for any campaign messages from either you or Ted. Let me know your thougts and I guess I'll have to make the final call. Nick

I was under the impression that you didn't really want to print my (pre-campaign) letter anyway. Certainly we won't "fall out" over it and it's got nothing to do with the Presidential Election. You're right - it's your call. I don't think Ted or I would have a problem printing something in an AOA publication should you choose to have a campaign for DFO..... particularly if it's amusing and topical!

For those of you who may have missed the actual words in my manifesto, I said that ".... my experience has taught me that a certain amount of "militancy" is often required to apply pressure..." My experience has been learned as a sad fact of life in a non-communication environment, rather than a "belief".

For those dictionary buffs amongst you, "militancy" can be defined as "aggressively active". We have to ask ourselves whether management or our Association has been the most militant of late.

HKAOA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION (2000)

COMPANY INTEREST

HKAOA Presidential Election 2002:

Vote again FOR Your Future, Vote FOR Nigel