Dear Mr. Clark,
I have read your (first) quarterly report e-mail. While it is very commendable that you have decided to inform the ones who keep the company running about news and events at the top, the last part of your e-mail is pretty unfair.
I am somehow sure that you have been informed that your managers called my Embassy to threaten me with a prison for my Internet writings. There are no rumours in that and I have witnesses (still thinking whether I should sue Emirates Airline). I had to escape UAE with my own ticket while my End of Service money was not paid to me. Recordings of the open forum and my meetings were posted on this blog in order to prevent rumours and extremely subjective sides of the stories. Anyway, I was always clear about my intention to go in public with everything that your management did to me, but arrogance became prevalent managerial skill in EK. There are even “rumours” about your arrogant treatment of the cabin crew and ground staff.
I wanted to tell you this in case that in the last part of your letter you were referring to this blog.
Now, when I am finished with that I would like to express my opinion about the same (last) part of your e-mail. Many rumours, some of them “harmful and energy draining” are always a sign that something bad is happening inside. Nobody from the top ever called me to ask why I made this blog. Nobody cares about staff’s stories, Labour Law and Employee Regulation Manual violations, lousy treatment and dissatisfaction at work. In your last sentence you’ve just named those violations “rumours”, trying to suggest your staff whether, what and when they should think.
The last part of your e-mail is just an extension of the staff policy that your company is conducting for a long time now: staff should be proud to work in one of the “most loved” companies and to forget that they have the right to be treated with respect and to be paid accordingly. It is very embarrassing, for example, for that “loved” company (which earns billions) to pay its ground staff (grade 4) only 3500 aed (around 700 euros) salary, and let’s not get into the cattle-like treatment of that staff. Your “beloved brand” is built on disregards of laws, human and labour rights, internal manuals and contract violations.
It is always better to check the “rumours” before you name them that way. For the beginning, it’s enough to read comments of your staff on this blog. There are many other Internet places where you can go to find out what is happening in your own company. Surveys may be a good idea, but people are usually afraid to fill them honestly (management did their part in frightening employees very well), so they don’t give a whole picture. Pilots and cabin crew have their own places of gathering and discussing their dissatisfaction. Everything is there, you just have to make a few clicks. That way you will not be in the position one day to claim that you were not informed about the truth.
I know that you don’t believe me, but I wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
D.
Tim Clark’s e-mail.
Do Not Fly Emirates 
October 14th, 2014 at 03:15
Mr Clark,
We are really honored to hear from you but, I don’t know why the seniors are neglecting even ignoring our problems…Mr Clark, the ice is melting now and there are no more storms to cover… “Rumors” in your point of view are the exact real things that are happening almost everyday, you don’t have to be that “astonished”!!
I am sorry to talk like this way as I don’t have much time left for me, I am suffering from Brain Tumor and I became disabled and yes…because of senior staffs and their “policy”, maybe you don’t know this but, your “Best Friend” does as I told him after I have provided the requested help he asked for almost 2 hours on ”Instagram” and he just blocked me and reported me to Facebook instead of saying “thank you”, I have the conversation saved and you should be able to read it soon.
I mentioned this so as to face the fact and we don’t have to hide it anymore, this is my advice. Staffs are suffering from many things such as bullying, low salaries, the illegal shifts and the most important thing, a real medical insurance that suits the name “Emirates”….I had worked this illegal shift 12 hours a day and 4 days a week for more than 5 years the result is….Hemorrhage and Brain Tumor and they have sent me back home with medical termination even though, I was medically insured….so, we need to change the work environment before another one suffers the same- God forbidden.
Mr Clark,
Colleagues from different departments are seeking your support –as always- to solve the problems as they are not talking about “Rumors” here. Staff got really fed up from hearing promises and waiting for the Financial Year to be closed…sadly, on same occasions, something would happen or I would say “made” to be happened that would affect the Bonus. By the way, I am the first EKAS Chairman Award winner and I think after the treatment I got from the SENIOR staff, I will be send it back to EGHQ Dubai as am not honored to hold it and keep it anymore.
Once again, I do apologize and wishing you and our “Emirates” more and more success Sir.
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October 14th, 2014 at 06:47
If you don’t like it, leave
Motivate yourself and lower your expectations of the company
Because we like new blood
And you’re no good to us anymore
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October 14th, 2014 at 11:47
Interesting. Clearly you are working for Emirates, because the passengers are told the same what you just said by their staff. Probably in management, otherwise you would know how to write a full sentence that makes sense, with some punctuation here and there.
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October 15th, 2014 at 12:48
I think this guy/girl was sarcastic;)
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October 20th, 2014 at 09:16
Sorry, didn’t realize pulling hate jokes on terminal cancer patients is so cool. Maybe they should include this in Emirates flights “to wow” passengers.
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October 14th, 2014 at 08:50
Mr Clark. You are a dick!
That’s my robust feedback for you. Ultimately You are responsible for all this crap mentioned here, you are accountable. On the positive side it’s true, Emirates Airline did a great job expanding its network, great in branding, image building and the airport is truly world class as well. So some people do an amazing job over there, make sure you don’t piss them all off as well, because if things go south Sheikh Ahmed will question You. I respect the history of Emirates Airline, but you should understand (maybe you do already) that with the rate of expansion there is a conflict between your message, projected image and the amount of staff who hates to work in Emirates Airline and looking to quit at the first sight of any other opportunity, so they can’t fulfill that promise. Also you are hiring more and more cabin crew and support staff who are further diminishing this “love” for Emirates by being arrogant, discriminative and unprofessional, but its becoming your corporate culture and it permeates through the system. Probably you have enough lobster in your plate so you are ready not to give a damn. Just lay back, enjoy your ride in your Ferrari and let the wasta system and arrogant idiocy slowly erode what you helped to build. There is still enough momentum for couple of years to come so you can find somebody else to get blamed for what’s coming next!
Cheers
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October 15th, 2014 at 08:43
Hi Tony
Like and admire the factual content of your points, and the energy and frankness with which you express them – I would know this as we have EK staff is the family!
All your comments about diminishing the Emirates ‘love’ are right on too – BA in the 80s / 90s also thought it could farm over staff because it was such a big brand it was beyond reproach. Well look where that got them.
As I’ve said to Dragana herself, just easy on the rough language and the type of words bud, to stop people misrepresenting you or detracting from your excellent points. My work involves these sorts of negotiations and the minute the language heats up a level, they’ve got you.
Kind Regards
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October 16th, 2014 at 15:39
Dear Hyperhogg,
Thanks for your comment. Fortunately we both have the luxury of being able to ignore each other with Mr. Clark. I suppose he is happy by making cheesy in-flight self-interviews and corporate letters, everybody has their own hobbies. If I would be in his position I would even have more fun, by converting some A380’s into flying golf courses and jet set around playing golf on-board with my buddies. But he is humble guy… or just lacks of imagination who knows. I don’t care what will happen with Emirates Airline, it’s not my business. I think the culture of UAE allows for radical changes in any direction whenever they decide to do so, not so in European airlines with all the unions and democratic nonsense. So as soon as one of the rulers feels like putting things on the right track it might just happen. I am a capitalist, I can understand the exploitation of people for material gains. But just exploiting them while loosing more business because of bad service, flight delays, fines, bad publicity that is just plain stupid.
I would suggest for Dragana as well to stop flaming Emirates Airline, maybe there is some other more lucrative activity somewhere else, unless they come to their senses and pay her a nice sum to stop telling the truth.
Cheerios
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October 16th, 2014 at 22:53
I bet you ,are a capitalist, when you are in charge,but if you were one of those exploited people, you would have difficulties to ,understand, it
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October 19th, 2014 at 06:18
Thanks for yours Tony.
And yes I agree on the cheesy in-flight commentaries.
As a manager, I would tell you that Unions are BROADLY a good thing though they must be kept under control. In the 70s they undoubtedly got out of control in the UK and Europe.
A happy worker is a productive worker and therefore a profitable worker. Look after them, and they’ll look after you. However sometimes you have to do things the workforce does not like – reduce pay or benefits during hard times, or reduce a pension which we’re all having to do as we live longer etc. In this case usually the board (which I’m not on) should take a lead on this and forego some pay and benefits – it takes the sting out of things somewhat.
I’m also a capitalist. I understand the tough and even harsh decisions that must occasionally be taken. Capitalist does not automatically mean abusing or doing horrid things to people. Most of the time it is perfectly possible to take care of your people meaning that they will go the extra mile for you. There is no need to crush people.
I know you cannot give staff everything they want, but you have to give them something worth having and also make them feel they are genuinely part of a bigger whole. Otherwise, any talk of teamwork, loyalty, brand identity etc is just pointless.
What is happening in EK at the moment is a suppurating, infected, pus-leaking sore underpinned by some pretty appalling managerial practices. Just like BA in the 80s, they are so big and so successful at this time they think nothing bad can possibly happen to them. But it can, and will, just as it happened to the ‘World’s Favourite Airline’ with Willie Walsh – who was also moved sideways I understand. Dragana does well to shine the light on it, and by the looks of it is having quite an effect.
I say good on her,
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October 14th, 2014 at 13:40
Tony,
Please, respect…..you don’t have to be rough and impolite. Having mentioned this in his statement that means, he knows everything and he knows that things are escalating and there must be immediate action(s) before going out of control. In fact the statement now and at this timings from a person like Mr Clark – The president means a lot and is a positive sign even though, he tried to make it less important by just mentioning it.
Every one at Emirates Airline specially seniors knows what is happening exactly as “they” have set the rules from a long time so please, don’t put too much hope on that.
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October 15th, 2014 at 06:43
Heard about this blog from multiple ek staff and ek cabin crew. Was horrified to know you got fired for asking a question. I heard that manager is no longer with ek also.
All the besf
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October 15th, 2014 at 07:14
Thank you, South_african.
Manager stayed but outstations. Anyway, it’s the whole culture inside EK, managers just follow it blindly. It’s not an excuse for their behavior, but ambitious people usually tend to “follow the orders” no matter how unethical and cruel they are.
Asking the question was just their excuse as I was “monitored” by the management for a long time. After the forum one HR manager told me that I am “finished”. I didn’t know the meaning of his statement until I got fired. I suppose that decision about the termination of my service was prepared long before the forum.
They noticed me for my (at first polite and patient but then one pretty angry) refusal to do forced over time and to obey to their humiliating rules where I supposed to sleep 5 or 4 hours and then come to the work/training again.
They just push you until you can’t handle the pressure anymore, keeping you at the underground check in area for more than a year, forcing you to deal with various and thousands of people (who were imposed by sudden hand-baggage and excess baggage rules, often changes of their bookings, denied boarding, moving from one area to another, huge queues etc.) for 10 to 12 hours per day (and night) for a salary that barely feeds you. There is no mobility, staff stay at one position for more than a year, maybe even for a couple of years. Some people have privileges so others do their job. Managers are repressive and at the first sign of a trouble with a passenger, they punish staff because they are afraid to investigate the problem objectively, make a decision and take the responsibility.
Huge companies require strong and capable management and staff. It means that HRM has to do their job well, but you never see or hear from them, except when they send an e-mail before Ramadan to say that Muslims will have shorter working hours and better paid overtime (I don’t mind this, but other staff have no privileges at all which makes this Ramadan rules discriminating against Non-Muslims).
Group of staff already sent them a list of suggestions for improvements. HR just forwarded that list to DVP Anoma Manuel, who called the group for a meeting, where she was just justifying and defending herself. So, management can’t tell that they didn’t know about the problems. They can’t even tell that nobody suggested them improvements, because we did.
Promotions are reserved for people with “wastas”, those who belong to strong privileged groups inside EK and locals. Everyone else are disposable and expected to tag bags and scan boarding passes with their BA and MA degrees until they drop dead from not having enough sleep and food.
Forums were organized just to calm down the staff and for nothing else. There are no big changes after the forums. People still have the same small salaries, change two buses in order to reach the airport and accommodation and have 12 hours shifts. And this “false listening to the staff” is their strategy. Management is used to “relief” the tension among staff by “showing the care”, but this is useless since they never change anything, actually. Conducting surveys is another way of “calming down” the staff, but without any actions after.
Management is so incapable that they presented these “open” forums as a “help to the staff”. Ms. Anoma wanted to “help us”. She is the DVP in the big international company and she is not aware that her job is to organize, not to help? She doesn’t know that employees are not there for her, but she is there for her staff? What kind of managing is that?
And yes, everyone is there voluntarily, but when you leave your country to move and work to another one it’s not that easy to just go back home. You’ve invested something in your whole journey and you don’t want to fail. Sometimes you don’t have where to go back to. This “nobody is forcing you to stay here” is one big and nervy emotional and psychological manipulation for keeping people quiet and obeyed. And who ever “dares” to raise the voice against the greediness and inhumane treatment is silenced with termination or constant punishments.
It will never be clear to me which modern manager would ever think that fear is the best way of managing a big company in a longer period of time. Maybe the answer is in the fact that people do not think about the far distant future, but that future inevitably comes one day. Seems that for Emirates Airline future is today and nobody is guilty for the whole thing bursting in public except the management and the presidency and until they learn to except the responsibility and to respect others, they can’t repair the damage.
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October 15th, 2014 at 14:06
Unfortunately, this has a beginning with no ending…violations are everywhere in each department…..I believe managers are there to protect the company by implementation of its rules and regulation so that a healthy yet a “friendly” environment can be prevailed….not using their positions and “powers” to “play” with the rules whenever they want and as they want, the problem would be noticed when the HR bless and cherish their move.
I can still remember some back old days when my line manager had called me to his office on a morning shift, I noticed that the HR representative was sitting there, he claimed that all grade 4, grade 5, grade 7 and even grade 9 (shift managers) (total of roughly 150 staff) were complaining about me (as he listened personally to them) and he decided to do HR Hearing for me!!! This HR Hearing should be for him and not for me for many things as the most prominent, he had violated the SOP and his claims were logically unbelievable as he barely gives the shift manager 5 mins out of his precious time as he is the line manager, how did he manage to find the exact time to meet the said staffs to hear their complains on 4/4 shifts…Or he must be a “superman” then!
What made it worst was the HR representative reaction, she said when I was defending myself “All expatriates are saying the same thing….if they found a job in their own country, they wouldn’t be here!!”. This was the HR reply, imagine!! maybe she forgot that Mr Clark is an expatriate, Sir Morris Flanagan….or even my line manager!!!!
Their authorities should be used to protect the company rules and not for their own benefits. After the assessment for promotion, my line manager had followed me outside the lounge and asked me to find promotion in a different department as “they” have already already chosen the names….I asked him, how could they do that as still 2 more patches were scheduled to do the assessment and then the interview stage for all who passed the assessment stage!!!
Many of our colleagues have been iniquity specially who disagreed with managers and every staff have witnessed that scenario in his own department….is would begin at certain stage but never ends!
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October 15th, 2014 at 14:23
Who was your line manager?
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October 15th, 2014 at 14:36
He is Patrick Dsouza
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December 16th, 2015 at 07:16
All this HR hearing is all utter stupid nonsense. This is like punishing the staff. These are all old HR practices. Old way of running a company. What this blog shows is all the fears and frustrations of all employees, clearlying indicating that all the HR practices are out dated, way of managing primative. There is a Psychology Dept attached to recruiting, the test administered there are all of no use to hiring. The spend so much effect on those tests which have no meaning and then screw up the new staff once he joins the company with all the utter nonsense inside. The number of HR employee relations issues are just too many in this company. Why? because the culture of the company does not respect people irrespective of nationality, nor EK managers know how to manage and be sensitive to cultures of different nationality. The lack intercultural competence, lead by example to even basic work ethics. So This HR hearing all this is unwanted. Why cant HR be used to re define culture that want EK and the Group companies, and make the place more employee conductive and workable for all nationalities. Then most employee relations issues will come down. and HR can be used in the right areas. I probably think EK would require a re work of its work culture, and take the help of not just a global management consulting firm but all listen to staff of how things should be inside the company, otherwise more and more staff will no say ” hello tomorrow” inside emirates but look forward to leaving soon.
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October 16th, 2014 at 06:06
Cracks are starting to show and they are scrambling to contain it. Dismissive attitudes, ridicule and fear tactics. Everywhere I look people are exhausted and spent, all departments – this is not sustainable.
Write to the media, your government officials and human rights organizations, it might not make an impact for now, but at least there will be a record.
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October 16th, 2014 at 06:45
I already did it, thanks
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October 17th, 2014 at 13:15
You know, some people think that we are some what exaggerating about telling our experiences but trust on this, what mentioned is only less than 50% of what is happening there. Dragana spent about 20 months there and she revealed all that…on the other hand, staff who spent like 5. 10 or 20 years have more experience and more amazing stories that happened…so, whenever you stay more in EK…..there will be more amazing stories!!
Not only staff stories, during my short “life” in Emirates I had witnessed Birth and Death onboard when I used to be PRO and I was copied on some “shocking and horrible” (saved) emails between the management “big names” about passengers who had some serious problems during traveling and how Emirates have dealt in order to end them peacefully, calmly and quietly but most of them…..well, I would say that EK could have done better.
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January 15th, 2015 at 16:10
Sir Tim Clark will hand the poisoned chalice to someone else. With perfectly executed timing.
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January 15th, 2015 at 17:20
How is that anon!!
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January 25th, 2015 at 22:17
Dear Mr Clarck.
i fly a few times with emirates great company! Only i have been stolen in Dubai there is someone is in my suitcase been!
I have send emails wright to your company and call but nothing no feed back.
I no where not rich and must save money to go on holliday and then there is nothing no response.
I hope that there is someone will help us with this!!
We will go in aug to jakarta also end of the year to asia.
But we are affraid to go with emirates.
Please do something!!
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December 13th, 2015 at 20:15
I have a similar issue sand would like to hear more about your experience before j begin on my complaint procedure.
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December 13th, 2015 at 20:23
Don’t hold your breath. Clark doesn’t give a !@#/ about economy class pax.
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December 16th, 2015 at 06:59
What do you think about Tim Clarks peer Mr Gary Chapman and his whole team? Some rotten scoundrels. They do some many illegal things inside the company and everywhere, its the same story with Dnata. In fact it is worse. They go down to such low levels of cheating candidates in the interviews and giving a very rosy picture of the company. The inside nonsense inside dnata is worse them EK. So like big brother EK DN is following the footsteps. Such a cheap company, they cheated me and all the lies they spoke, promises they make and then showed their true colors. ITs horrible to know what they did to me.
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December 16th, 2015 at 07:02
Dnata – Set of Morons go learn first how to run a company, how to treat people with respect.
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