Latest news with #rostering
The Herald
29-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald
'It's not a straightforward job': Pilots seek predictability as Solidarity rejects latest FlySaFair wage offer
Since the introduction of the new rostering system, FlySafair pilots are no longer able to plan their off-time in advance. TimesLIVE spoke to a pilot on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, after trade union Solidarity's rejection of the company's latest wage offer. A pilot who has been in the industry for more than 15 years told TimesLIVE that a year ago the airline introduced a new rostering system to 'optimise the way that the crew is neutralised'. He said before the new system, pilots worked according to what they called a pattern roster, where they worked for six days, rested for two days, and then worked another six days and rested for three days. This allowed them to predict when they would have off days, enabling them to plan their leave and family events. What they had now introduced was deemed to be a flexible pattern roster with no obvious pattern in the roster algorithm to allow pilots to work out their off days and generally worked on a five-day schedule. ' You fly for a maximum amount of five days, but you have no say when your off days will be. I t becomes a variable pattern. The pilots are struggling to forecast when their off days will be and it's very difficult to make family commitments and to schedule your off time effectively,' said the pilot. FlySafair said on Sunday that the primary point of disagreement centres on the union's demand for the implementation of fixed scheduling rules. 'While the intention behind these proposals is to improve work-life balance, their combined effect would substantially limit the airline's ability to roster pilots efficiently. 'This could, in turn, negatively affect both passengers and the wider crew. As a constructive alternative, FlySafair proposed the formation of an independently chaired joint roster committee comprising both pilot and company representatives. 'This body would be empowered to test and refine proposed scheduling rules in a live environment before implementation — ensuring that any changes are carefully evaluated for their impact on productivity, safety and overall wellbeing,' said the airline. It said that it continues to operate a stable but reduced flight schedule as the new week begins, with more pilots returning to duty each day. The pilot said the impasse was worsened by the fact that they don't employ the correct number of pilots, which then affects the amount of leave that the pilots can take. 'If you work a roster and the leave issues together, you know, it becomes increasingly difficult, you can't forecast your off-time, but you also can't get leave. T he guys are left with very little options in that sense,' he said. He added that pilots' work is not a normal 8am to 4pm job and the new roster adds to fatigue. During a typical week, from day one to day three, they could start very early and suddenly from day four and five be expected to fly from midday till midnight. 'When night-time comes around on day three or four, because you have been awake early in the morning already, you are tired,' he said. According to the pilot, many studies have been done about circadian rhythms and how pilot fatigue needs to be managed. He blamed the airline for allegedly not sticking to industry best practice.
The Herald
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Family time request by pilots is reasonable, union says ahead of CCMA meeting with FlySafair
A roster system that allows for family time and adequate rest periods is a priority for pilots, the Solidarity trade union says as it prepares to meet FlySafair in a mediation process. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) will on Wednesday seek to help broker a deal between the airline's management and the union. A rostering system recently implemented by FlySafair is a bone of contention for pilots. Solidarity said: "It has drastically changed the established working conditions of pilots which have been in place for the past decade." "The new schedule impedes adequate rest periods and undermines pilots' family life. "As pilots' work days often start before sunrise and last until late at night, sufficient rest is of utmost importance for the safety and well-being of pilots and passengers. "In addition, pilots work seven days a week on a rotating schedule, which significantly impacts their family life compared to those who work standard office hours." Solidarity will ask the CCMA to help it secure a deal that allows: Pilots will have at least one weekend off within each five-week schedule cycle and two consecutive days off to properly rest and spend quality time with their families.; The opportunity for pilots to exchange shifts with colleagues in cases where family responsibilities necessitate flexibility. If they have to fly on their days off, they will be compensated for within the next schedule cycle. "Additional schedule proposals will be submitted to FlySafair's management during the mediation. A schedule compromise will not incur any additional costs for the employer. If FlySafair complies with the reasonable requests, Solidarity will be prepared to review the salary increase demand and all other related claims and be willing to compromise." While some flights had to be cancelled due to a pilot strike on Monday, FlySafair has implemented contingency arrangements. This includes a reduced number of flights and a deal with SAA to operate some of its routes. TimesLIVE
Irish Times
20-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
HSE aims to bring in new weekend work rosters for healthcare staff over summer
The HSE hopes to introduce new rostering arrangements over the summer that could require many healthcare staff to work at weekends for the first time, its chief executive has said. Bernard Gloster said final management proposals for the introduction of rostering staff to work any five days in a week – known as 5/7 day working – was currently with trade unions. In one of the biggest policy changes in years, the HSE has indicated it wants up to 10 per cent of the workforce to be available for rostered weekend work. Under the reforms, the HSE is seeking more staff on duty at weekends to: facilitate discharges of patients; boost the numbers providing care in emergency departments; increase the capacity in delivering diagnostics; and establish new outpatient clinics on Saturdays in hospitals and or community primary care centres. READ MORE It said that 'for Sunday, it is patient flow that is the priority. Between Saturday and Sunday, we discharge about 11-14 per cent of overall discharges for the week. We are aiming to get this to between 17-20 per cent.' HSE proposals given to trade unions said where a need for an extended service was identified, initially staff would be sought to work weekends on a voluntary basis. It said if there were not enough volunteers, 'eligible staff would be identified to resource the extended hours of service'. The HSE maintained that all staff employed or promoted on or after December 16th, 2008, would be contractually obliged to be rostered for weekend working. It said the requirement to match working patterns to service needs was set out in a HSE circular going back to 2009, as well as in successive public service pay agreements. [ Opinion: Nobody wants to stay in hospital longer than necessary. There's a better way to handle patient discharge Opens in new window ] The HSE told The Irish Times there was now 'a critical mass' of consultants in hospitals operating under the new public patient-only contract, which provides for senior doctors to work on Saturdays and later in the evening on weekdays. It said it needed other health professionals to work outside the traditional Monday-Friday working week. It also needs staff – some administrative, some nursing/allied health professionals – to be rostered on five out of seven days. 'Engagements have taken place with health unions and a final HSE proposal is in the last stage of feedback from the unions. Once cleared, there will be a mechanism for each [HSE] region to move to a roster in this new format. The initial rosters to be implemented will be in two categories of work: (a) Supporting services which have a direct benefit on patient flow such as emergency department avoidance, emergency department care and in hospital care such as diagnostics and discharge. (b) Supporting the establishment of a minimum number of outpatient clinics on Saturday in hospital and or community primary care centres as a means of big reform.' [ Just how unsafe are emergency departments in Irish hospitals? Opens in new window ] Mr Gloster said in a statement: 'We are determined to make this change which will be the basis for radical reform in access to care and patient flow and we hope to see the first fixed rosters in place over the summer. The prioritisation of this by Minister [for Health] Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is significant.' Minutes of the meeting in April of the Health Budget Oversight Group, which looks at spending in the health sector, said: 'Both HSE and Department of Health noted that they are examining the option of making changes to consultant rosters to ensure a more even distribution of consultants over seven days.' Mr Gloster said: 'We know consultants work hard, we know many are in at weekends for different things, we know the service is emergency/on call at weekends as opposed to core service. It is the move to core that is central to our plans on rosters. We have all the tools now, we have 25 per cent more staff, we need to utilise it to the maximum in the public interest.'
