Miloch wrote in
:

https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2...sacks-all-of-i
ts-flight-attendants-and-replaces-them-with-pilots/

Icelandair has fired all of its flight attendants after failing to
reach an agreement with the Cabin Crew Association of Iceland (FFI)
over a new collective bargaining agreement and will instead replace
them with pilots, not all of whom are currently required for flying
duties due to the Corona crisis. The airline and cabin crew union
leaders reached a stalemate over stalled negotiations earlier this
month.

In a statement, the Reykjavík-based airline said “it has now become
evident that a mutually agreed conclusion will not be reached” between
Icelandair and cabin crew representatives. Icelandair had wanted cabin
crew to agree to major concessions in pay and conditions written as
part of the new agreement which would have lasted through to 2025.

A spokesperson for the airline said a new collective bargaining
agreement was essential to “ensure the long-term competitiveness of
the company while safeguarding the competitive compensation and
working conditions of the Company’s cabin crew members.”

"Icelandair has been exploring other options regarding safety and
service onboard its aircraft. As a result, the Company will instruct
its pilots to assume responsibility for safety on board,” a statement
from Icelandair continued.

While the airline didn’t detail exactly how these arrangements would
work, it’s likely that extra pilots will be called to work flights in
addition to the rostered Captain, First Officer and any other flight
crew required on the flight deck.

The extra pilots will assume the normal positions of flight attendants
in the passenger cabin and will be given expedited training in safety
and emergency procedures. Similar tactics have been used by other
airlines in the past, most notably British Airways, which used pilot
volunteers to break a cabin crew strike in 2010.

Pilots are not normally given training on most cabin crew emergency
duties as part of their everyday employment.

Icelandair doesn’t expect to provide much service training to pilots
because onboard services remain heavily curtailed because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.

The move to replace fully trained cabin crew with pilots will only be
a temporary measure and Icelandair intends to seek an alternative
union partner. Icelandair suggested cabin crew would have no chance of
being allowed back even if they agree to a new contract saying it
would “permanently terminate the employment of its current cabin crew
members.”

It’s not clear whether aviation regulators may raise objections about
losing all of the experience that cabin crew at the airline have
acquired.

Pilots will take over all safety duties from July 20.



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The big reason I declined to go into
flying as a career. Zero job security.