Point_Chaser

Seems like they are still on strike this morning according to sas.dk and cph.dk!

And just listened to CAU's spokesperson from late last night, and he says that they "don't really care" about the wage increase of approx 11% they have received for the next 3 years. They want improved conditions... They want more weekends off, and want to be able to have vacation during the summer just like their families...
Let's face it though, being a cabin attendant means that they will be needed all year, and naturally all of them can't have vacation during the summer when they need to still have the planes in the sky..! I kind of feel like it comes with the job!

You can listen to the (Danish) interview here: http://www.dr.dk/Forms/Published/Pla...spx?qid=402549

miikka

I think they should be having their summer vacations on summer time. Of course! Summer time is very short in here so they deserve summer vacations on proper time.

I think SAS should just hire Asian cabin crew from now on. Danish do not want to work in this industry as they prefer their summer vacations so stop hiring new Danish and concentrate only on some other. AY has tried that and has had some good results already althoug the unions are hating that very much.

Point_Chaser

Of course, I agree 100% that they should be able to have a summer vacation, but to complain that you get it in June instead of July is a bit too much! They cannot have all the Danish CA's on vacation during the same time July-August! That's just not possible! Some will be able to have vacation then, but others won't be able to..! It's actually as simple and basic as that!
Just think about it...

NEWSFLASH SAS DK: Scandinavian Airlines Denmark has today revised the summer schedules following the latest demands from the Danish Unions. All production will be cancelled 01JUL07-31AUG07 so that all CA's can have their summer vacation during the same perfect timing! Those unfortunate travellers who have paid for travel with us and in the end pay our salary as we are in fact in a service industry, will be rerouted via ARN to their final destination as the CA's in those countries strangely enough are OK with working and earning a living during the summer months.

jacob_m

Hmmm.... Seriously, when they applied for the job as an FA, whether it was three years ago or 30 years ago, wasn't it perfectly clear what working conditions would apply?? Sure the airline industry has changed, but I can't see that these things were very different in past.
How do they honestly think SAS could meet their requirements? Tell the passengers who want to fly on a Saturday that they have to fly Friday instead as all FAs want to stay home with their families?
Or what should they tell all holidaymakers who have saved money all year to go one week abroad during their annual holiday in July? "Sorry Sir, you will have to move your holiday to May because our FAs are not working in July"!

I'm sure I don't have all facts, but working weekends and summers go with the job, it's a 365 days a year job. If that's so hard to accept then I think they should quit and get a regular 8-5 office job instead.
I'm sure there are many young talented people in for example Asia or Central/Eastern Europe who would be most happy to replace them and who would probably do a pretty good job as well.

Btw, a question to those of you who fly SAS longhaul much more than I do.
Are there any non-Scandinavians working in the cabin on longhaul flights? For example on flights to China or Japan many airlines really make an effort to have at least 1-2 Chinese/Japanese speaking FAs onboard these flights (I can give plenty of examples on airlines).
Is that the same on SAS?

lnixon

The Tokyo route had Japanese FA:s. Since they spent so much time at high altitude above the Arctic (they worked that single route), they had do undergo frequent health checks because of the high level of cosmic radation they were subjected to. IIRC.

henry999

Hmmmpf! Unions? Why are they even allowed to have those *&#$@% unions, anyway?!? Don't communists have unions? And days off??? Do they actually expect to have days off? After all, this is a service industry; they are our servants. Families? Vacations? Ridiculous! Why, instead of being permitted to go 'home' after work, these CAs should just sleep in the p-class seats while the bird is down for the night! Of course, then they might want to use the toilet, so Management could install special locking seatbelts in a few rows to prevent them from getting up and making demands. And if they don't like it, well, then they can go to Russia and work for Aeroflot!

cheers,

Henry

FT Guest xyzpdq

Yep - they do have Chinese (for sure) and Japanese (AFAIK) cabin attendants - their contractual aspects are still up in the air (Chinese vs. Danish regulations).

A-340 GOT

I for sure agree on SK using more foreign cabin crew, both long haul and shorthaul. I´m sure as mentioned earlier east european staff would not mid those working conditions. Maybe SAS should expand Estonian Air, and let them expand, and to switch operation from SK DK...

Balboa

I agree as well, use more cabin-attendants from other countries mixed with Scandinavian. There are alot of people that would take theese jobs without blinking that the Danish-staff don´t like. Even the Swedes and Norwegians would be happy for those money.

dodgeflyer

If I recall correctly, SAS CAU put a stop to the Chinese flight attendants.

I was watching the news yesterday and apprantly the CPH sentiment was "SAS - never again". How quickly passengers forget, this is exactly what they said last year as well when the pilots were ::cough:: ill ::cough::cough::

Point_Chaser

Latest comment from CAU:

I'm sure they are really working hard to get their members to change their mind!
This is just what they are stating officially though... Wonder how long this will last... My GF has got a flight via CPH early on Saturday morning to which I said "oh, that won't be a problem at all - they can't continue that long", but maybe I shouldn't have been so sure. Now - who knows?

Point_Chaser

And now SAS has confirmed that all flights the rest of the day will be cancelled except a few exceptions (most Intercontinental will be operated except SEA).

http://www.sas.dk/templates/Flexible...epslanguage=DA

jacob_m

That's good! Then it shouldn't be completely impossible to employ FAs of other nationalities as well.

I actually think it would do SAS a lot of good. Not just to get more dedicated, loyal and hard-working FAs, but also to get a more culturally diverse workforce.

One of my regular routes have been CDG-ARN and CDG-CPH which I have done innumerable times, and I can count on one hand the number of times there have been any announcements whatsoever in French (and I don't really need the whole hand...).
Not that it made any difference to me, but I can understand if SAS is not the first choice of airline among French passengers going to Scandinavia or longhaul.

Someone83

UPDATE: All SAS DK flight 26/4 is now cancelled

SAS IC except for SEA are operating

AND SAS DK will during the they send out letters to all the striking F/As telling them to return their access card, uniforms and parking permision at CPH


http://borsen.dk/nyhed/108386/
"Samtidig sender SAS-ledelsen i løbet af dagen et brev til kabinepersonalet, hvori de bliver bedt om at aflevere uniformer, adgangskort og parkeringskort. "

miikka

Doesn't put much confidence on the reliability of SAS - Unions at least make sure that people who want to be in their destination on the given date and time should actually choose someone else than SAS.

Alitalia is coming more and more reliable at the moment compared to SAS