And here we go again… Almost two weeks after the ‘problem’ initially arose; the LCC is faced with it again. This time however, the general public is fully aware that it’s not simply a ‘software glitch combined with the season’s high demand’, but a full-scale, previously announced strike – and one which can be avoided.
The strike will be held by both, cockpit and cabin crew members. According to the “Sindicato dos Aeronautas” (SNA), the pilots and flight attendants local union, Gol crew members are demanding:
a) A full health insurance program;
b) A pension plan;
c) Gol is to fully comply with the professional regulatory act established in Brazil (meaning, pilots and flight attendants shouldn’t exceed the permitted flying hours per month);
d) A just and humane duty roster;
e) Pay increase by roughly 27%.
The airline is expected to make a decision, whether or not to accept the demands by Friday August 20th.
It is important to point out that right now a state of strike already exists and should demands not be accepted – or at least a counter-proposal be made – by next Friday, pilots and flight attendants will call for a strike some 72hs later. This strike is expected to affect 30% of the carrier’s flights, as stipulated by law.
On a side note, the timing for these strikes couldn’t be worse for Gol (or better for their crew members if you will): the airline has just announced a second-quarter loss of USD 29,7 million; the first ‘stealth strike’ scathed the airlines image and cost them dearly (public image, revenue loss, compensation costs, a hefty fine, the loss of corporate contracts, etc.); its fierce competitor, TAM, announced the intention to join forces with LAN and merge thereby creating on the world’s largest airline groups… In light of what we just outlined here, it is imperative that Gol makes the threat of a public strike – which, undoubtedly, could cripple them much worse than they could possibly imagine – ‘go away’. And they need to do it quickly and quietly.
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