Tulsi joins the party of Common Sense

[roamer]

Jetstar coming in for some flak over cabin crew fatigue.

" A Thailand-based cabin crew was threatened with the sack after flight attendants complained they were too tired to operate a Sydney to Melbourne flight.

The Bangkok-based flight attendants are employed by a company called Tour East Thailand, and Jetstar says it was not at all comfortable with warning letters sent by the firm to some staff."

Despite Jetstar trying to get a little wriggle room here its pretty apparent that all is not well and cost cutting measures that affect crew are always something to keep an eye on with airlines.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-28/jetstar-rejects-claims/2813944/?site=melbourne

[WilliaminBKK]

No surprise at all, Tour East works it staff to the bones.

Looks like Jetstar is shamed enough to react, how did these Flight Attendants get work permits I wonder.

[afarang]

No surprise at all, Tour East works it staff to the bones.

Looks like Jetstar is shamed enough to react, how did these Flight Attendants get work permits I wonder.

My understanding is, they ,are ALL THAIS, not farang working for very poor wages ,in comparison to Australians, doing the same work

[lomatopo]

But Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan says the company has "the highest level" of fatigue risk-management procedures in place.

He says rostered shifts only last up to 14 hours, irrespective of contracts of third-party providers.

"I think a lot of the claims are completely false and I entirely deny them," he told ABC News Breakfast.

Mr Buchanan says there are situations where people may have to work beyond their rostered shift, but that is part of working in the airline industry.

"If someone is extending, we take them off the next day and make sure they get some rest," he said.

"Fatigue risk management is about creating rest periods, either when they are flying or when they are on the ground.

"We ask people whenever they are fatigued to put their hands up and say they are fatigued and we will take them off that shift."

He should just share the company's "fatigue risk-management procedures" with the public and put this matter to rest. But I'm guessing, based on his vague statements (... a lot of the claims are completely false...") that they really don't have specific procedures in place?

Bottom line, they need a minimum cabin crew complement to operate or they have to cancel the flight. Maintaining the standard crew complement in remote bases, factoring in schedule slippages, costs a lot of money. Labor is typically the second highest cost line item on an airline, after fuel - but given the paltry wages they pay, with marginal benefits this might not be the case, so labor costs are managed very, very aggressively. Air travel, especially on LCCes, is akin to public bus travel so I'm hardly shocked to find out management is over-working cabin crew (not flight deck crew) as cabin crew do not have any protection whatsoever.

[afarang]

But Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan says the company has "the highest level" of fatigue risk-management procedures in place.

He says rostered shifts only last up to 14 hours, irrespective of contracts of third-party providers.

"I think a lot of the claims are completely false and I entirely deny them," he told ABC News Breakfast.

Mr Buchanan says there are situations where people may have to work beyond their rostered shift, but that is part of working in the airline industry.

"If someone is extending, we take them off the next day and make sure they get some rest," he said.

"Fatigue risk management is about creating rest periods, either when they are flying or when they are on the ground.

"We ask people whenever they are fatigued to put their hands up and say they are fatigued and we will take them off that shift."

He should just share the company's "fatigue risk-management procedures" with the public and put this matter to rest. But I'm guessing, based on his vague statements (... a lot of the claims are completely false...") that they really don't have specific procedures in place?

Bottom line, they need a minimum cabin crew complement to operate or they have to cancel the flight. Maintaining the standard crew complement in remote bases, factoring in schedule slippages, costs a lot of money. Labor is typically the second highest cost line item on an airline, after fuel - but given the paltry wages they pay, with marginal benefits this might not be the case, so labor costs are managed very, very aggressively. Air travel, especially on LCCes, is akin to public bus travel so I'm hardly shocked to find out management is over-working cabin crew (not flight deck crew) as cabin crew do not have any protection whatsoever.

No reply to my question, re: Indian Restaurants?There was a very good article in the Melbourne Age about this topic.It appears Jetstar are not being very nice. At All