Goodbye Anoma Manuel, you will not be missed

For those who don’t follow this blog from the beginning, everything has begun with now former Divisional Vice President Anoma Manuel and her ruthless behaviour towards Airport Services employees and myself, recorded on tape.

I felt harassed by her and I even filed a complaint to HR Manager Sophia Panayiotou. Sophia never responded to this complaint but she was fired by Emirates soon after my blog post about her, along with several other managers.

 
This time, Anoma Manuel “is leaving” the company. I will not speculate if she was “forced to resign” (a popular term in Emirates) or she resigned for some other reason as I don’t care. The damage to the employees and the company is already done. And  although I have a huge respect towards women who manage to succeed in a men’s world, I don’t have any respect for Anoma Manuel. She was insensitive and incompetent manager who has offended and bullied many people, who ruled by fear and who violated many policies of the company she worked for.

Goodbye Anoma Manuel. You will not be missed.

 

New Emirates commercial with Jenniffer Aniston is carefully designed manipulation

I am fully aware that every commercial, even a negative one, is still a commercial and that I am doing a great favour to Emirates by talking about their ad on my blog, but I am still going to do it just because I think that this ad represents a clear picture of EK management’s state of mind (to EK management: you don’t have to thank me!). It represents their values in life and their vision on how a working environment should look like. For all those looking to work and travel with EK, this ad is a good source of information. Watch it carefully.

This ad is like a dirty political campaign. A politician does not win elections thanks to their good programme and mission, but thanks to bashing on an opponent. If we know something about life, we would immediately recognize a dishonest man, a man incapable to create his own agenda, so he (or she) walks an easier way: he replaces lack of knowledge and skills with bashing on others. This is why the commercial is unethical and unprofessional – you don’t step over bodies (other airlines, in this case) to reach your personal goal. Or do you?

I am not a fan of snobbish attitude where someone is spoiled and unaware of other people’s misery so much that they miss a shower and a bar onboard to the point they pass out and have nightmares. Now every EK passenger in the world has the right to demand a bar and a shower, including economy class passengers, because I didn’t see a disclaimer that this ad discriminates them. Yes, you have a subtle notification which only says Emirates A380 First Class Shower Spa, First and Business Class Onboard Lounge, but it’s not a disclaimer, just a notification. Disclaimer like this, for example: Shower Spa available only to rich passengers and movie stars would not look good, would it now?

There is a hidden message for cabin and cockpit crew as well: they are subtly asked to fly one unpaid hour more (in addition to all the unpaid hours they already work). It’s just like in real life, where crew and ground staff are constantly asked and/or forced to work overtime. This is an EK management’s vision of their favourite line – “going an extra mile for our customers”: crew get to work more for free, just because someone who has money and power (at this point you can look at Jennifer as a symbol of EK management) asked or threatened them. Nevermind safety and crew’s constant fatigue. Money and pleasure of rich rule the world.

This is an e-mail I’ve got from one ex EK cabin crew:

Saw the commercial – what a kick in the face for the hard working. I flew to Europe on Delta and had a chance to talk to the crew. Service was professional, without the circus atmosphere of EK. The crew had a real sense of authority…something EK will never allow.

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This ad is, actually, a carefully designed manipulation. It discriminates and divides people on rich and poor (clearly sending a message that EK wants only rich passengers, that it cares only for them), it tells you that you should work for free, it mocks and revenges USA airlines for EK’s recent problems with alleged subsidies and it promotes superficiality. All this through ad’s fake funny appearance.

The commercial of a neighbouring airline, with another famous actress in the main role, is really professional one in comparison with this one and a real example of an ethical ad.

Bottom line, when you scratch beyond Jen’s charm and funny acting, this is one vulgar and unethical ad on all levels. As I said at the beginning: a clear picture of management’s state of mind.

My story from Emirates Airline Hell

“ This is my story in brief that shows how Emirates Airline HR has dealt with it from dishonouring “their” agreement that was signed on the contract hoping that I would get some support in filing a legal case in a country other than UAE. Such influenced individuals or managers or even senior staff have distorted the Bright image of Emirates Airline by bullying, mobbing and even playing with the company rules to meet their needs supported by HR. I’ve tried to reach some decision makers since 2010 with a help from inside and outside the company in order to draw attention on their illegal actions as same become part of each day activities however, they reached managers before me and briefing them with wrong information!

I did my utmost during my life in EK by working hard as I have more than 17 awards and compliments from the company and passengers (many for my own projects) including EK highest accolade as I have received the Chairman Award from HH in 2005 for saving a life of a passenger after his heart had stopped during transit. I had registered “Exceptional” on my PM for 3 continuous years and I have a great relation with all staff including seniors that developed to friendship. I wasn’t given or called for any “disciplinary” meetings except a single Memo on March 12^th 2008 when my line manager Mr Patrick D. has done a marvelous job in changing facts supported by his officer to send me a message that I should be loyal to him.

My ex-line manager Mr Patrick D. was a perfect example for violating the “HUMANITY” rules not only the company rules, I don’t know his previous experience but, all what I know that he had joined DNATA in 1991 as a “normal” staff and had moved the chain till he was selected as ASM for Doha station. At that time, EK was almost 10 years old and there were only certain numbers of staff as the possibility of getting promoted was higher than today. He was called back to Dubai after many complaints against his strategy of running the work at Doha station. Mr Patrick had worked hard on making friends especially with influenced managers as this was his only and last card to play with when facing problems. In Dubai, he wasn’t welcomed back to DNATA as it had enough from him so, he used his “only card” to be saved from a definite termination….he was attached with one of the best manager in EKAS hoping that he would change (including attitude and behavior) and begin a positive creative new life but, he was cunning like a fox!! He was transferred to the ramp and baggage area-EBRS under Mrs Anoma leadership based on the positive feedback from that manager. Mrs Anoma in turn had taken a good care in “rehabilitating” him as a manager, no wonder he is well known of “Anoma’s son” till this moment.

Mr Patrick was very smart in knowing staff not for their achievements but, who stands behind them, he used to take good care of the local staff and building a good friendly relations with them, he was supporting only his loyal staff and distributed them in every shift to know what was happening behind his back other than work issues, what they were thinking /talking about him, a detailed “briefing” would be prepared every day before he comes to work by his senior loyal staff that are called till this very moment “Patrick Boys”.

I wasn’t welcomed by him at EBRS department thinking that I would act as “Spy” as I was against his strategy at work, he used to brief everyone including the DVP that I didn’t want to join EBRS and I prefer to stay where I was at that time!!! He had worked on many things to make me just run away from the department briefing all that I wasn’t enjoying my work at EBRS and for that, I shouldn’t be believed of whatever I say!!

In my whole life at EBRS, neither me nor any one of my colleagues have learned anything from him, he never showed us how to solve or how to anticipate problems before they arise, he never asked or listened to staff on how we can improve EBRS services….all what he showed us was the “other side” of managers i.e. giving “unjustified” warnings and memos!! I just can’t forget when one day, he called me to his office and got amazed when I saw Ms H. Al A. (HR Manager) there, he began to create some stories from his imagination about me and that all staff including managers were complaining about me!! The worst part was, Ms H. HR was supporting his wrong claims and then she said “All expatriates are saying the same thing when they are in troubles, if they found a decent job at their own country, they wouldn’t be here!!” then I looked at her and said: “First, I am not in trouble; second, the HR has set a special protocol before reaching a Hearing “not like this”: third, what do you mean by Expatriates? Mr. Clark is expatriate, Mr. Morris Flanagan is expatriate, Mr. Dale Griffith is expatriate, the manager here (Patrick) is expatriate too….most of the expatriates are working hard to add more success to EK.” This was EK HR representative who supposed to investigate and support the staff but it seems, HR will put heads down for managers.

Patrick did not share any plan(s) with any staff asking them for optimum opinion in fact, he would ignore any “feedback” concerning ideas or projects as he would go for what is in his head or (of course) his seniors. For example, 7 years ago EBRS management have allocated luggage carousel for the premium passengers however, this turned out on the staff with different scenarios of harassments from passengers and Patrick didn’t show any interest to listen and/or reply on staff emails to enhance this service as one time he called me to say “You are a supervisor…just be a supervisor, we don’t want anything else from you…no ideas…no projects…this is a message from the DVP”!! EBRS had continued with the plan until it was stopped (with immediate effect) by Mr. Tim Clark When he called SVP Mr. M Mattar for that on September 2009!!

On an “opening” for a new post “EBRS Duty Officers-Grade 7” and just after the assessment, Patrick came out of the lounge to tell me to look for the grade in other department as they have already chosen the suitable staff even though, this was against the company rules as 2 more groups were coming after we finish our assessment besides, the interview still didn’t assign yet!!! He said, I am the Decision Maker here!!! And yes…managers can play up and down with the rules supported by HR.

I am not the only one who suffered from his “sadist games” there are a lot of staff who tasted his pain, many good staff had received rejection to their application for higher grades from him without a valid reason set as per HR or even just “destroy” their hopes by unjustified Warnings and memos.

Speaking about the “unjustified” warnings that Patrick used to give EBRS staff without notice as per the rules and regulations, once my shift manager Ms Lynelle Adkins had asked me something about my PM, she said “I didn’t know that you have a recent warning”, I said I don’t have a warning….it was a Memo longtime back and it is not in the system anymore!!, she turned the screen toward me and said look! There was a warning issued about a week ago by the Line Manager Patrick D…Amazingly, it was the same my old Memo text but, with current date!!! There is a protocol for issuing warnings set by HR so basically, he can put whatever on my system without discussing same with me as per the rules!! I was disappointed and couldn’t think anymore…I heard some strange voices but, I opened my eyes to find myself on the stretcher and rushed to Rashid Hospital by Airport Medical Team after I collapsed with sever seizure!!!

It was Friday Feb 26^th 2010 I will remember that date for the rest of my life. Doctors had done CT scan but, they wanted to go for MRI as the checks were insufficient to determine the reason for the sever seizure anyways, hospital staff asked me to arrange initially 10,000 AED as my Governmental Health card, my EK health insurance even my “emergency” case didn’t save me from continuing my medical checks in a public hospital! I had to wait for many hours for EK to arrange the required money as every 10-15 minutes a nurse would come and ask me for the same however, after 6 hours of waiting, I had signed on the self discharge form and I left the hospital.

I couldn’t do the MRI scan in private hospitals that honor my EK insurance as I have to wait for EK to send them the approval form. During that period, I had another 3 seizure attacks that ended each time in a different hospital however, I had a meeting with Mr Ashley F. EKAS HR in order to submit a huge complaint against my manager Mr Patrick D. having my old memo dated March 12, 2008 to compare it with the recent warning on his system as it has the same text, Mr Ashley was so amazed and stupor that he was wondering how did he do that, he took a copy of the memo as he would investigate on that and delete this “unjustified” warning from my file at the same time, he asked for some time and not to tell anyone about this meeting and/or my complaint against Patrick! (Later, I found out that he was protecting Patrick!).

I met Ranjini from EK Medical Benefit Administration (MBA) to follow up as my life without treatment was described as “Unstable”, Ranjini informed me that EK Clinic approved my treatment 2 days ago. At the City Hospital I was examined by Dr Deep Al Kayed (MD, FAAN- US Board certified Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist) however, he didn’t give me a clear definite answer whether it was Anteriovenos Malformation-AVM that caused the Tumor or something else as he said “Most of the AVMs take a quiet long time to be formed however, your case is different as the location (Left thalamic basal Ganglia),  the size of the tumor is very large 3.9 CM in its antero-posterior, 3.8CM in its height and 1.9 CM in its coronal dimension with high pressure on the surrounding structures and with a huge massive Edema that is compressing the cerebral nerves made me say that it was recently formed and maybe this explains why you didn’t suffer from it before”. The hospital suggested starting treatment as soon as possible to prevent further complications and possible death by a professional team in Jordan as doctors there have great experience in treating same. It is good to mention that I had bad scenarios trying to get a CD for my MRI as every staff I asked him, he would come back to me saying once, it is against the policy then, the machine was inoperative…etc!! I had to meet the duty manager for that who had confirmed to me that the hospital gives a CD copy to the patients without even asking however, after about 3 hours of negotiation, they gave me the CD but, I didn’t know that there was a bad story behind hiding it!

Emirates Airline “MBA” had approved my treatment outside UAE (in Jordan) based on the discharge report from the City Hospital, Dubai Hospital and Rashid Hospital. Ranjini had confirmed that the company insurance would be responsible for my treatment and my basic salary (at least) would be deposited in my bank account as usual till the end of my treatment as:

• I had collapsed on duty and transferred to Rashid Hospital by Airport Medical Team.
• MAS (Manager Airport Services) and ASM (Airport Services Manager) had filed an incident report.
• EK Clinic/Doctors had approved my treatment in Jordan according to the medical reports from Rashid, Dubai and the City Hospital however, I wasn’t not invited to see anyone of them or at least, to be examined by EK Doctors.

I went with my colleague to another private Dr to have a second opinion of my MRI examination but, we were shocked when we found out that the City Hospital gave me just a BLANK CD!!  It couldn’t be by mistake as the hospital duty manager gave it to me after a big hassle. I went again there and I met a different duty manager and I made sure to take my own MRI CD after reviewing it, I heard it from there that my employer (HR) was against giving me the CD, I wrongly though because HR/insurance had paid my bill so, the hospital should take their permission first, I DIDN’T KNOW THEY WERE HIDING THAT MY BRAIN HAD BLEEDED (HEMORRAHAGE) AND DUE TO THIS, I WAS UNFIT TO FLY (you can google it) however, the HR wanted me to go home ASAP to close my case from Dubai side and be with HR manager Ashley F. only.

Since I was having some financial commitments with banks (personal loan +credit cards), I called their customer service advising them of the same and that I needed to seek treatment in Jordan as per the medical reports so, I have updated my contacts and my email address.

I was in touch with my employer most of the time as I used to send medical reports the minute I received them, doctors have described my case as critical, rare and serious that needs to be treated ASAP, complications might include another brain bleeding (haemorrhage) and/or stroke which may lead to death. Ashley called me many times offering me some “good offers” if I submitted my resignation as he would consider it as medical termination, he would send some extra “cash” which would help in my treatment as I was the first EKAS to be awarded the Chairman Award, he would authorize the treatment fees till recovery, he would speak and send the banks a letter of my medical termination so that they would activate their insurance to settle down my outstanding of my loan and cards and would follow up with them in order to give me my same outstanding/principle amount as per their insurance policy (Emirates NDB bank is doing that for my loan), he would call my company insurance 24 months basic salary as per contract, my belongings at my apartment at no cost and finally, he would get me back to EK when I finish my treatment however, I refused his offer in so many times.

The MBA had reimbursed my treatment only one time however; they used their own calculations and the sum was “much” less than what the receipts showed. I tried calling them many times after emailing them but, they didn’t reply…Even HR Ashley had ignored my emails after asking me to copy him on the emails. My own basic salary was stopped since May 2010 and in almost every email I send Ashley I used to put him in full picture regarding the heavy costs for my treatment that would stop if –at least-my salary and medical fees were not paid but, he was (some what) referring to this issue as a private issue and I should be responsible for it. I even tried to explain that I was covered by EK medical insurance and I passed the company medical test before I joined EK and all that has formed recently as per my medical reports but unfortunately, EK Clinic and/or HR had judged on that as it was formed since birth. Then why I wasn’t asked to be examined by EK doctors when I had collapsed with seizure on duty? I was on duty when that happened?

Ashley was trying to put a lot of pressure so that I would ask him for termination as once; he gave me 2 options either to send him my doctor contacts or to come to Dubai because EK doctors wanted to examine me to make sure that I am on the right track even though, I was sending my medical reports as soon as I get them and my treatment didn’t finish yet but, traveling to Dubai by plane was against any medical advice in fact, my doctors were amazed from my employer request as I had two recent brain embolizations and I was under condensed Physiotherapy and the worst part, I should pay for everything including my tickets, staying in Dubai…etc the minute I was saving every Dirham for my treatment after EK had stopped my insurance and my salary as authorized by MBA for the 3 above reasons. I sent Ashley my doctor contacts and I told him that I was in favor of coming to Dubai as per EK Doctors request and to finalize my salary and treatment issues with MBA.

A few weeks later, Ashley returned back asking me to come to Dubai as he fixed an appointment with Dr Diane Mclvor on May 30th 2011at 1130AM on his email, he said that EK Dr has called my Dr in Jordan however, it was still not sufficient detail to ascertain my fitness for continued employment!! This is absolutely WRONG because whoever called my doctor was inquiring about my medical progress only and my Dr informed that I was improving (with details) however, my doctors have advised to reconsider 12hours shift as it is hectic and unhealthy and they wrote this on their report that I had sent to HR.

On his email, Ashley wrote that he ran a quick check with immigration and found that a police case was filed by Mashreq Bank with a total sum of 9,500AED, he asked me to settle that amount before coming as police arrest could happen and would cause extreme stress for me!. First, the Immigration Department wouldn’t release some “secure” information to anyone unless he has a written authority from me as this is illegal second, police case was filed because my salary was stopped from being deposited in my account third, this is a private issue however, Ashley went there to file a case against me (Escaping from the employer case No. 372994) as he knew that I have some financial commitment with banks and therefore, the banks would do the same and exclude me from their insurance under “Medical Termination” or”Loss of job due sickness” scheme even getting the same outstanding after settling it. He made sure to answer any call from banks with “We don’t know where he is and we filed a case against him”. If Ashley had any sense of “humanity” its better to ask EK Clinic why EK doctors insisted (as per Ashley) to be examined in Dubai (rather than do it at their approved clinic for Jordan staff in Jordan) when EK Clinic had approved my treatment in Jordan without even seeing me and all the medical reports were sent to them up to date in terms of, what we have done and what is the next step in details. Doctors can’t jeopardize a human life by asking a patient with recent brain operations to fly to Dubai to be examined and they are not going to put me in a plane with a recent hemorrhage that was hidden from me and send me to Jordan for good…This is how EK-HR would do to protect managers and in my case, protecting themselves from being questioned or what they have done regarding my complaint!

I informed my doctors that I wanted to go to Dubai as they knew my company comes first however, on June 3^rd 2011, my Dr sent me a report indicated that my Drs were not in favor of traveling by plane at this stage due to my recent brain operations, recent Haemorrhage and the Edema that is still exists till the moment as they didn’t want to hold any legal responsibility, however, they gave me that decision as I should consider Oxygen (extra bottle) onboard the flight if I decided to go as I MIGHT need it. I sent the report to Ashley as usual to prepare the MEDIF form and send it to EK Clinic then to reservation as I knew from before when I was Public Relation Officer that sick passengers with Oxygen bottle can travel but they have to inform EK prior and fill Medical Form (MEDIF) unfortunately, Ashley had taken this report as a reason to terminate my services even though, it is NOT a valid reason for termination set by company therefore, it is illegal! in fact, there is a legal question here of how could EK Dr wants me to travel to Dubai when I had recent brain operations and passed brain bleeding condition to fly to Dubai just to be examined by this Dr!

Once again, my doctors wrote this in their report so as not to hold any legal responsibility however, they didn’t say that I will be unable to perform my duties as what Ashley wrote in the Medical Termination and made the DVP signed on it!! I even made that clear on June 15^th 2011 when Ashley called me to tell me his decision.

Ashley F. had done great job to make me suffer and taste different pains. Once My Drs thought of sharing my critical case (the blockage in the cerebral brain veins and my cerebral Edema which is still existed at almost the same volume before the operations) with the neurosurgeons and Drs from all over the world who were coming to attend a medical seminar , I have put Ashley in picture through my several calls regarding my appointment on Aug 5th 2011 since middle of June that was almost a month prior, he promised to follow up personally with staff to ensure I receive my OWN dues +EOS before the end of July. Unfortunately, during that period he left to BOM on vacation without leaving a simple hand over to his office staff to send my money eventually, I had to cancel my appointment on Aug 4^th and wasted that great chance….Ashley said on the phone “I am also a human and I needed this vacation to work properly”!! But, probably he forgot that I needed MY money to live safely with no more pain!

Ashley F. had delayed sending my dues on purpose in many times, it took more than 100 days after my medical termination to calculate and send my dues!! I have to mention that Ashley did something to the calculation to my benefit as he changed half day to full day which added few hundred Dirhams to the total so as to tell whoever asked him that he did his best for me but, he excluded me from 2011 yearly bonus (11 weeks) and my company paid tickets even my EOS as he send it to Emirates NDB bank for my loan instead of sending them my medical termination but, he authorized my SRC tickets!!

The amazement of all and after my Medical Termination and after filing a case against me and after pushing banks to do the same and after making sure that banks had deprived me from their insurance by closing the outstanding and giving me the same outstanding that would be invested in my treatment and of course, after delaying my treatment many times he just…send me back my basic salary from June 2010 till June 12 2011 (still short in 1 month) as what first authorized by MBA before!! I got the chance to speak to EVP-HR Mr Abdulaziz Al Ali as he was waiting for my call but unfortunately, he got WRONG briefing from Ashley who –for sure- had briefed him that he did his utmost for my case. Mr Abdulaziz had thankfully authorized my Financial Year Profit as he said that same was authorized by HH The Chairman to all and every staff and no one can take it from you, he sent Ashley an email to send the FYP with immediate effect however, I took him about a month to receive it after calling him! During the call, Mr Abdulaziz said that “EK can’t give you back your salary as Ashley had briefed him why” when I asked him about my “Personal Accident & Life Insurance” for grade 6 (24 months basic salary) the contract that was given to me when promoted to grade 6!!

This is part of what happened and I still have all the conversation and reports saved but, no one took the initiative to investigate as all were depending on the HR briefing, even the head of EK HR was given wrong briefings!. I haven’t signed on any paper that certifies that I have received all my dues or all my rights even after sending my money actually, I can’t do that as I became disabled of 75% according to 3 medical committees that belongs to Ministry of Health in Jordan, my doctors said that I could be saved from this if my treatment and physiotherapy wasn’t interrupted. I am ready for any medical checks that would be required by the court, my doctors are also ready for a hearing and I hope to get a legal help.

I thank you.

Tagha1“

*  The name of the author is known to the administrators of this blog.

My Medical Contract

My Termination Letter

My Medical Report 1

My Medical Report 2

Memo

Former Emirates purser’s testimony

“I’m ex crew batch xxx from 1996 to 2005. I’m so sad to hear how EK has become.

When I first joined , if we were delayed on board with pax, we used to get a notification of a token extra 50dhs as a thank you. We were a person not a number. I felt valued but the demise was already beginning sadly before I left.

I left as a PUR and was happy but prior to leaving , I looked to move into another role, I was just shy of the requirements. I always wondered why, then, someone with far less requirements than me, got the role? No doubt she did a great job by it was interesting that the document I prepared for the interview had elements that were used. Maybe just a coincidence?  However, it is my view that to further your career in EK,you must be in training school. Which is ridiculous as many of the crew are fountains of knowledge and have plenty of experience in other fields. This cliquey training school of who you know, must stop.

I loved my time at EK, rosters of no more than 80-90 hours etc , being treated with respect and as a person, but sadly I hear there is a lot of discontent. And for good reason.  In the good old days we could have visitors t the apts, then an isolated incident in Sahara tower and the 1am rule came in for cabin crew. Engineers , pilots , management and those in al kawakeb of course did not have to abide. The beginning of the punishment of  many for one persons actions began then ….

I consider myself fortunate to have had the glory days and am so sad to hear that EK is going down the plug hole for no reason but ill advised management who could make it the best company if they chose.“

Former EK purser’s e-mail

HR manager in charge for intimidating and firing staff in EKAS

In another, shorter, news for today, I finally found the full name of a mysterious “Karen“. The EK Human Resources manager in charge for scaring, intimidating and firing staff in EK Airport Services (ground staff). I guess Emirates has a lot of managers like Karen is, but I don’t know them.

I do know Karen, though. I have met her three times. The first time was when I had my disciplinary meeting. She was in the room with Rami El Samra (my disciplinary meeting manager) when I knocked. They told me to wait a little bit. Karen exited the room and went and Rami El Samra called me to come in for my disciplinary meeting. I never found out about their discussion before I came in, but I find it suspicious and unfair. 

Second time I met Karen it was at the airport hallway, the day I was supposed to be fired. She was walking towards offices with HR manager Maktoom Mohd. Hassan. Mr. Maktoom greeted me, Ms. Karen ignored me.

Third time I met Ms. Karen was at the same day at my line manager’s office (Gavin Elliot-Wilson). I greeted Mr. Gavin with a hand shake, and I greeted Ms. Karen as well, but she was a little bit surprised that I wanted to greet her, so she got confused with her hands and papers. This meeting was the moment when I found out that the person who talked to my manager before the disciplinary meeting was the very same person who fired me – HR manager Karen Galer. The judge, the jury and the executioner.

Ms. Karen was sitting in the office silently, while Mr. Gavin told me that my service is ended. I asked Ms. Karen where I can read about my rights and obligations after service termination, and she got confused, obviously not ready for the questions or knowing about the basics of the service termination in Emirates. She directed me to the End of Service counter in HQ.

I heard a lot about Ms. Karen Galer. I heard how she invites staff to the offices at the airport and intimidates them with close service terminations. She does it with coldness and regardless of anything that staff has to say in their defence. A the same time, if asked something about Emirates rules and policies, she doesn’t know the answers. So, her only job is to tell people that they are fired.

I was seeking for so long to find out who “Karen” is. Please, feel free to describe your experiences with her because she is, by my opinion, typical representative of an inhumane approach to employees in Emirates Airline, especially as she is working as an HR manager – who supposed to be responsible for staff’s well-being.

Ms. Karen is also welcome to comment.

Do not fly Emirates

In the light of recent suicide of one Emirates cabin crew, I got several emails about depression of cabin crew (I will publish some articles on that in the next few days). It seems to be much bigger problem than any of us suspect, though. And I believe that it is only a tip of an iceberg as I heard stories about alcohol and drug abuse among Emirates staff. This article is dedicated to all of the EK’s staff struggling to live and work in abnormal and stressful EK working conditions.  

I had several turning points in my life. My work with Emirates was the latest one. Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful that I have worked there and gained much experience and many friends. The only healthy way to survive this life is to see its best lights and to fight against its dark ones.

Of course, you can always, as most of the people, choose not to see the darkness and not to act on it, because you want to keep your job, or because you want to have a secure life, or because you want to be rich and powerful, or because you want to believe that you are better than others, or because you have to feed your family, or because you are afraid that darkness will overwhelm you.

World problems are not your problems specifically, but we are all part of those problems. We all have our part of responsibility in it. And if you are not happy, the only person to blame is you. Reality is yours to create it. There are no other people. Others have their own realities. Your reality is yours to make something of it and whatever you decide it to be, it will be. For sure. Just decide.

By my experience, the most usual thing that people do is denying their part of the responsibility. Emirates Airline managers made their realities by lying to themselves, They are not evil people per se.  At least most of them. They are not bad people per se. They just choose not to see. And when they do see, they are lying to themselves that they can’t do anything about it, that problem is bigger than them, that “This is Dubai” and that their hands are tied by local culture and laws. But they forget that they choose to be where they are and that those chosen positions influence thousands of lives. I guess the most painless way to live a life is by living it in oblivion and selfishness. Mr. Mattar, Senior Vice President of Airport Services, probably still thinks that his staff is happy and that they can have lunch for 2AED. Now he can go home and have a lunch for 200AED. But this is how lie works.

So, EK managers have no problem to post photos on Facebook from their expensive vacations, and photos of their houses and cars/motorcycles while people they are responsible for suffer. And don’t be naive – most of the people who are abused now if given a chance to become managers, would continue the circle of abuse. They convinced themselves that they earned it. Of course, people who don’t have feelings while abusing others are not happy or satisfied people. But system is made that way. Either adjust, keep quiet, keep your head down and believe in it (and be a manager or be abused for someone else’s profit – it’s all the same at the end of the day), either be an outcast, “crazy”, unfit and outlaw.

Of course, it takes a lot of strength to be an outcast. It often hurts. Mob will always attack you because you are the reminder how bad they are.

Why would, then, someone choose to be an outcast? By my opinion it’s the only way to a personal happiness. And I don’t think that an outcast has to live outside the system. I believe that outcast can be a manager in Emirates Airline. The common thing for all outcasts is that they don’t lie to themselves and they do the best they can to make their immediate surrounding a better place.

For example, an outcast EK manager would help a depressed staff to get a proper care. An outcast EK manager would smile to their staff, would appreciate their work with small rewards or even with words of appreciation only, they don’t cost. But EK managers don’t do this even if it doesn’t cost. Why? Because then they have to be honest to themselves and to admit their responsibility for someone else’s misery. They have to be aware of themselves and the consequences of their acts. And it hurts to know that you are the part of something that hurts so many people. And it hurts even more if you admit to yourself that you do it just for the money and personal gain. It hurts less to just tell yourself this is the way it goes and to go with the flow – convince yourself that you are better than others and be an arrogant bastard.

But you know what? Everything is forgiveable because you stop being a hypocrite the moment you admit that you are one.

For example, many people asked me if I would take the money for stop writing this blog. My answer was always: depends on my mood. If I am angry – no. If I am in need for money – yes. But you know what? I am not perfect. I am not a saint. But I would always tell you that I took the money to stop writing the blog and that my fight is over and that I did what was in my power and in my hands as a mortal human being to do. I think it’s honest. You can think that I betrayed my and your ideals and fight, but I TOLD YOU THE TRUTH. What’s more important: I TOLD THE TRUTH TO MYSELF. And I am not a hypocrite then. I did my best which is much more than someone else did (don’t worry, nobody offered me money. EK cherishes money more than their image. This was just an example based on my possible moral struggle).

So, no one has to change fundamentally and to be a better person in order for world to be a better place. You don’t have to change. You just have to tell the truth. To yourself first and then to others. It would be a good start. There is nothing wrong in admitting that you are wrong. You may even continue to do wrong, but don’t pretend it’s not wrong or that you are doing good. Have the courage to be an honest bastard, at least. And at least sometimes if not always.

Finally, we came to the title of this post. My fight “against” Emirates is not a fight against Emirates. “Do not fly Emirates” doesn’t mean a call to not fly with Emirates. Emirates is just a metaphor for lies and deceptions. And the whole world is established on deceptions and oblivion. EK managers are often comforting themselves with this fact: “it’s like this in every company”. I’ve heard this phrase so many times and whenever someone said it to me I knew that I am looking at the person who is walking the easier path of self deception. And I don’t mind people lying to themselves, I mind that they hurt others. This is why I started this blog and this is why I am still writing it. Do not fly Emirates means – do not lie to yourselves.

I got over my termination even before I was terminated. Maybe even before I was employed in EK. But Emirates Airline is the first company which gave me the profound knowledge on how every false system works. Most companies hide behind human and labour rights. Some of those rights are implemented and working, some of them are violated or even not implemented. But at least these rights stand as an ideal principle which is to be pursued by human rights activists and courts of law.

Emirates Airline (as a bunch of other companies all around the world as well) is the most outrageous lie I ever encountered to. And the most inhumane one. And besides the effects on my health (thyroid gland malfunction and disturbed peace of my mind) it left a deeper trail. It left a vision of future whose contributor I don’t want to be. I am taking my part of the responsibility in building that selfish, oblivious and inhumane future. I am not frustrated (at least not that much), I am not a rebel, I am not an anarchist (primarily). I just took the responsibility for my part of reality. And now when I am a hypocrite (and we all sometimes are) I can say it out loud and by doing so – clear myself of any further hypocrisy. That is what inner peace and happiness are for me.

Fight your fights people. Don’t be afraid to stand for yourselves. Love and respect yourselves. Forgive yourselves. Take the responsibility for your lives. Enjoy the ride. No one said it’s an easy ride, but if you overcome some difficult bumps I can promise that it won’t get less bumpy, but you will start to overcome the obstacles much easier. And then you will have the time to look around you and enjoy the ride.

Writing this blog is part of my ride.

Emirates cabin crew fired for complaining to GCAA, ACAA and IATA?

According to this e-mail from one senior staff, Emirates Airline cabin crew complained to GCAA, ACAA and IATA on illegal layover length, fatigue and breach of safety rules and they got fired due to “inappropriate behavour”. Apparently, according to Emirates Airline managers, it’s inappropriate to contact international regulative organizations responsible for aviation safety and rules to complain on violation of those rules.

This is the e-mail that I have got today:

“Hi Dragana,

i hope you are doing alright..
it took me sometime to find the courage to send this email to be honest im a bit afraid of loosing my job.
anyhow, here are some new stuff been going
i have xxx godforsaken flight to JFK during the snow storm where they had only 10 hours layover…. 4 of the crew xxx decided to make an official complaint to GCAA, ACAA & IATA , the e-mail was successfully sent , read and replied to… however, apparently emirates has it own people everywhere, somehow Mr. Terry received a copy of that e-mail ????

and as you know these days he is operating ” OPEN FORUM ” same one as Anoma did which led to your termination …. needless to say  its not going well as only about 400 crews decided to show up which made him say its an “isolated problem” ( because half of them are on leave and the other are operating, which he didn’t think of ) the point is he had a meeting with those 4 crews who sent the e-mail to GCAA and guess what happened after a long lecture about work ethics and bragging about how emirates is feeding them and their families , it ended up by 2 of them being terminated due ” inappropriate behavior “   how ironic… apparently this is the reason to termainte staff when you don’t have a reason, as for the other 2 crews since they didn’t use their company email to send the complaint they were blessed by a final written warning and … wait for it ….. leave balance forfeiting … swap freeze …. no access to company e-mail… WOOOW now the manager will send them email which they cant ready and they will be terminated ….
disregarding how unethical and a severe breach of company/uae labor laws which emirates is anyhow above it, they had to accept it because of their financial problems and their knowledge that they can’t get a better or same level job back in their countries … how sad…but true..
as we speak there is another open forum is going and i’ll send you the outcome when i get it.

as for EKAS…
after Mr. walter promised to take EKAS to the new level… i can’t deny he did some improvements (THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR BLOG)
Mr. walter had several meetings with MASs and ASMs on how to make EKAS better ( for the company )
and the out come was ( as per some ASMs whom im close friend with )
1- all staff with more than 60 hours sickness are not entitled for grade.

2- verbal warning to be issued for staff who don’t comply with uniform and image standards…

3- sick reporting is now 5 hours before duty, any call after that will not be documented and staff will be marked absent ( great now i have to wake up 6 hours before my duty to see if im fit to work or not)

4- no more LOCAL LEAVES authorized by ASMs or MASs.
and yet more to come… im just waiting for walter to publish them ( i doubt it )

and hey .. do you remember that glorious day for emirates on 19 Dec where they had a record of passengers numbers ?
here is something for you about it, Mr. walter was so generous and gave all staffs who were working that day 25AED meal voucher BUT.. no time for the staff to eat, i was doing morning shift that day, and i witnessed staff who had 8-9 tasks on 10 hours shift, with a maximum break of 15 minutes ( time between gate to another) and when someone called RTC they bluntly informed the staff there is no break in your contract …..
staff were asked to perform all kind of tasks including remote departures/arrivals SAT and boarding.. and due to lack of staff that day many flights were without enough staff and some without Gate supervisors and i know some of the staff who had no GS on their flights got warnings because the flight was delayed….
how would you expect a staff who only got trained for boarding (BAMBAM) in 2 weeks to do a job that requires intensive system experience..
i can’t recall allllllll the incidents that happened with details , but you have my word, your blog will be my tongue.
eveyone (who is not a hypocrite or an ass kisser) is very proud of you and what you have achieved for us.

thank you for everything.“

Email from a senior Emirates staff

The real reason why Emirates Airline plans to employ 11.000 new staff

Emirates Airline (EK) is all about marketing and perfect image but if you scratch beneath the surface you can find a lot of mistreatment, sufferings, sad or horror employees’ stories and cruel exploitation of expatriates coming to work with this Airline.

What makes the current EK’s human resources crisis unbearable is the fact that Emirates Airline is above any labour law. It means that managers can and will do whatever they want and nobody can stop them.

When you join this company you will sign a contract. This contract is going to be violated many times (you will work more than you agreed and your benefits will be gradually taken away from you) and there is absolutely no one to protect you, your contract or your rights. I’ve checked this fact myself as I went through the whole labour system in Dubai only to get this response from a Government official: “You can complain but it’s useless”. I even went to His Highness Ahmed Bin Saeed AlMaktoum the Chairman of Emirates Airline couple of times but never actually met him as his staff doesn’t allow visits.

20% of all Emirates cabin crew resigned last year.

Up to the last couple of months EK managers felt strong enough to rule their company with fear and punishment knowing that almost nothing of it will go out to public as they have a habit of punishing staff who write negative facts about them online. This is the reason why they have threatened me with a prison as well. Writing this blog has been a huge challenge for me. I get a lot of “please don’t stop writing” e-mails so I continue to write as this blog became one of the few voices of disempowered Emirates Airline employees.

Besides this blog there are two other websites:

1. Update from Tom – a blog of former Senior Vice President  of Emirates Group IT department. The seriousness of this managerial title gives this blog the highest relevance among all of the virtual places to get to know the truth about EK management as it is written by the managerial insider.

2. Emirates Illuminati – a website of a huge group of Emirates employees – organized resistance against managerial oppresion, who are not to be mistaken for a union, since unions are forbidden in UAE. This website is blocked in UAE.

A question about bad working conditions in Emirates Airline on a professional pilots network.

You will be led to believe that Emirates Airline is a modern and multicultural company which treats its employees like gold. You will be told at your trainings that “we are the best in the world, so if we have chosen you to work for us it means you are the best as well”. Once you actually start working you will feel all the incapability and greediness of your managers on your back. You will be ruthlessly treated as a number, forced to be passengers’ and managers’ servant and if you don’t obey in any way you will be bullied, harassed and forced to resign.

It is very hard to describe poisonous and negative atmosphere which is waiting for you once you begin with your work. You will be reported for a small mistake or for no reason at all, back-stabbed, disrespected and humiliated. And if you are young and inexperienced, you are likely to lose your self-confidence and a sense of a personal value.

The point of this masquerade is to keep attracting new people to replace old, resigned, terminated, sick and unmotivated ones. EK management is very aware of the process it’s just that they are lying to the public and instead telling them the truth – that they desperately need 11.000 new staff to replace those who massively resigned in the couple of last months, they will tell you that they are “expanding their business and fleet” and that they are “becoming more powerful and successful”. Besides lying to potential new joiners they are also lying to themselves as the company is seriously shaken from the inside.

But if you read this article, which aims to attract new group of unsuspecting future staff, you can conclude that it reveals more than Emirates Airline managers want to reveal.

The National Article. Emirates Airline employs 11.000 new staff.
http://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/hiring-spree-to-boost-emirates-airline-staff

For example:

if there are 20 new aircrafts, and one aircraft needs 80 cabin crew for service, Emirates Airline needs only 1600 new cabin crew this year (20×80). So why this article announces around 5500 new cabin crew this year? It’s 3900 crew more than they need (5500-1600)!

There is around 19.000 cabin crew in Emirates Airline currently. 3900 is simply a number of crew that they have lost last year and that they have to replace urgently. In percentages it is 20% of all cabin crew. So, one fifth of cabin crew resigned last year! Does anyone, besides EK managers, really think that 20% of lost cabin crew is a success, especially if we take into consideration that 130 pilots resigned in the past three months?

A simple calculation from PPRUNE member

You can follow up on this story about 11.000 new employees here and you can read more on Emirates working conditions here.

Good luck with your new employment.

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Emirates Airline’s life style brand: your good life style is our staff’s miserable life OR How Emirates Airline robs from its employees?

I have read this article yesterday and I was left speechless due to insolence of the last paragraph where Mr.Tim Clark, the president of Emirates Airline and former CEO, states:

 “I just do not accept that the airline business is cyclical, and that airlines will inevitably go out of business in the end,” he said. “The ones who’ve disappeared in the past – like Pan Am and TWA – had different business models. And none of them had Dubai, with its geocentricity. None of the legacy carriers had the kind of thinking we have and the natural aviation attractions of a domestic hub like Dubai.”

Employees of Emirates Airline are sick and tired of their managers telling to the public how powerful company is, arrogantly lecturing other airlines and accusing them of bad business practises in comparison with EK’s business practises.

This is the simple truth about Emirates Airline’s business practice:

Emirates Airline hires staff from less developed countries by deceiving them about their contracts and working conditions and then they exploit and abuse them.

I was, for example, hired for Dnata’s Marhaba service. Only when I came to Dubai I found out that I will be working in check in area. Since salary for ground staff is so small and working conditions so bad, during the recruitment process recruiters use lies to make people willing to come and work for them. The usual way is to tell the cabin crew wannabes that they can apply for cabin crew from ground staff, if they come to work as ground staff. This is an obvious lie, because internal hirings are rare and only few among hundreds of applicants are chosen due to the shortage of staff in Airport Services. 

Once people arrive to Dubai, they already left their homes and previous jobs, if they had them. So, every “take it or leave it” choice is, actually, mean emotional blackmail as most of them don’t have where to return to. This makes new employees of Emirates Airline vulnerable for all sorts of exploitation and abuse. Their contract is violated with forced overtimes and extra unpaid working hours and with all sorts of bullying and punishing for a small or for somebody else’s mistake. 

I already wrote about the things that ground staff do for free in Emirates Airline. Today I am going to explain a few more ways of EK managers to steal money from their employees. 

1. Blackmail with End of Service benefit

Emirates Airline has a huge problem with massive resignations. So huge that they even don’t have enough crew to operate the flights, so some flights are cancelled or delayed. Management is even lying to the cabin crew by not telling them until the briefing that they would be doing double turnarounds or double sectors (!). There are situations (usually when flying short distances and double turnarounds – Doha, Kuwait, Muscat) where crew is working 12 hours per day and being paid for only 4 or 5 hours which is how much they are in the air. Company doesn’t include ground hours in crew’s salary although crew is at work.

Due to these awful working conditions and poisoned organizational culture, which are very damaging for staff’s health, many crew resign. Problem is that Emirate Airline can’t afford so many resignations. They desperately need crew and they don’t have enough resources to process so many resignations. So they have decided to start to reject crew’s resignations. Of course, crew want their End of Service benefit so they can’t just go, they want to resign properly and as per the law. Managers know this so they are now abusing this fact to force people to stay a little bit longer in the company, keeping them as half hostages. I’ve got this information from one cabin crew:

I recently flew with a xxx, who has been in the company around xxx years. Crew has given in their resignation letter TWICE and both times they received an email saying, that they are unfortunately unable to process the REQUEST due to the …probably operational needs 🙂  Shorty, this resignation was declined because there are too many people leaving. And as crew’s EOSB are around 20 000 AED or above for now, so crew cannot just leave or be kicked out, they want to have their hard earned money.

Keeping an unsatisfied employee by force and manipulating them to stay with money, is taking EK’s unprofessional HR management and poor organizational culture to a whole new extremely disgraceful level. The company is just rotting from inside and it’s only a matter of time when the outside is starting to turn ugly as well.

2. Overcharging for uniform items

As much as this seems ridiculous it is happening for a long time now. Let’s take shoes for example. Staff is forced to wear them for one year. After that they get free replacements. It is just outrageous to expect anyone to wear the same shoes almost every working day for a whole year. But EK managers do that, hoping that many staff will just go to their store and buy new ones for around 180 AED. And many staff do so, as it is very dangerous to walk around on ruined heels.

The newest idea of EK management on how to take money from their employees are “nationality pins” (flag pins) which cabin crew are forced to wear. Every replacement costs 30 AED. You guess how many lost small pins will be in one year and what profit will EK have just by charging the pin replacements.

3. Asking for money from former employees

When I went to collect my suspension salary, it wasn’t in the system. Instead, EK end of service counter staff notified me that I owe the company several thousands of dirhams. He even printed the bill for me. I laughed. I asked him three times to check with his superiors about my salary, which he finally did. And I got my salary. Not without the troubles. 

One former ground staff sent me recently her bill. She got it at her home address. She resigned suddenly. She went home and never came back which is a usual situation in Emirates Airline. But this girl notified her managers that she will not come back, she arranged her uniform and uniform assets to be returned to the company and she asked how she can cancel her visa from her home country. She left her End of service money and leave balance to the company. After three months she got a letter from Emirates Airline, asking her to pay several thousands of dirhams to them. This bill included the deduction of her notice period salary (she didn’t do her notice period) but it didn’t include her End of service benefit and unpaid leave balance which she left to the company. How embarrassing is this? Such a huge and “successful” company trying to squeeze the money from their abused employees?

And I just happen to personally know several other people who were asked for a money at the end of their service.

EK Letter to former employee (at the bottom there is a threat what will happen if dues are not paid)

 

The bill which doesn’t include end of service benefit and rest of leave days. A sneaky way of EK managers to try and take the money from their former employees.

4. Cancelling loads view in the staff travel system

One of the benefit of working with any airline are discounted airplane tickets. There are numerous types of discounted staff tickets, but most popular are called ID90 and ID50. ID90 is a cheaper, standby ticket. You only get a seat if there are available seats on board. ID50 is more expensive one, but it should be confirmed, you should get your seat except in extraordinary circumstances.

Whenever they travelled before, staff could see in the system the exact number of booked seats and number of staff with discounted tickets travelling. It was very useful information as it gave the staff opportunity to plan their trips and calculate the possibility the get the seat on a desired flight.

Recently, EK management decided to cancel this option. No more exact numbers of passengers on flights. Why? Answer is very easy: more people will buy more expensive ID50 tickets in order to have bigger chances to get the seat and less people will travel uncertain of their possibilities to be back on time. Less people travelling means more people available for work, which is a good deal for EK because they are lack of staff anyway.

More on this subject here.

Loads can be seen only in colours now.

Explanation on colour meaning.

These are just few ways of how Emirates Airline robs its employees. I know you know many more ways, so please do write about them in the comments.

So, it seems that Mr.Tim Clark found a better business model after all. Of course, airlines which he criticizes for having difficulties only have them because their competition airline abuses underpaid half slaves. This doesn’t make Mr.Tim Clark a business genius, but rather a ruthless and unethical manager who had the luck to be on the top of the company which is not the subject to any labour law.

Mr.Tim Clark also forgets that Abu Dhabi, Doha and Muscat also have a great “geocentricity”, so Emirates Airline is not without a competition.

There are, also, other ways to be left out of the business. One of the most important ones is brutal exploitation of labour force. One company can not simply abuse thousands of people for years and then expect to be loved and successful brand.

So much of a life style brand. Your good life style is our staff’s miserable life.

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Mr.Tim Clark’s contribution to toxic organizational culture

One commenter left a link to the interesting LinkedIn article about signs that a company suffers from the toxic culture. You can read the whole article here, and I will quote the first part of it just to prove the point from my title:

Joel Peterson Influencer

Chairman, JetBlue Airways. Stanford Business School

I once asked an executive to share the essence of his company’s culture with the members of a business school class I was teaching. His response was that in his company, his view was, “We don’t need no stinkin’ culture.”

But that’s exactly what they had: a “stinking culture.”

“We don’t need no stinkin’ culture” can become the motto of Emirates Airline managers. It sounds similar to “We don’t need no education”, but I don’t think that Pink Floyd meant it in a way in which many decision makers in Emirates Airline comprehend this song.

I am more harsh than usual today because I forgot how arrogant and nervy e-mails from EK top management can sound. I just got one today and it made me think about the motives of one airline president to treat his staff like a flock of sheep.

Never forget that organizational culture starts from the top and for Mr.Tim Clark’s information these are the symptoms of the toxic organizational culture:

1. Unhappy people. When disgruntled people are in management positions, culture quickly become toxic, resulting in high turnover or the wrong kind of turnover (where the stars leave and the “dead wood” stays).

2. Unclear values. A management team that can’t articulate the priorities of the business or quantify them and set up ways to measure success won’t have value clarity – a culture killer.

3. No common language or folklore. The best cultures tell great inside stories, remember their history and celebrate heroic culture carriers.

4. Power-hoarding managers. Where leaders withhold information and use fear as the key motivator, the odds of developing a high-trust culture go to zero.

5. Second-class citizens. Bad cultures have a caste system. If the output of only one kind of producer is recognized and valued, it’s impossible to build a great culture.

6. Superficial diversity. Where managers only use race, gender and politics to create a superficial diversity, instead of ensuring that people with different life experiences are represented in the workplace, they can create cynicism.

Emirates Airline has all of these symptoms on very high levels, so what is Mr.Tim Clark’s contribution to it?

It’s simple. Mr.Tim Clark has no contact with his company’s reality or maybe he does have it but he ignores it. If it wasn’t so why he would continue to send quarterly updates which severely insult his employees’ intelligence? Mr.Tim Clark has a situation of massive dissatisfaction among his employees. Cabin crew department suffers from mass exodus. He doesn’t have enough crew to operate the flights and he had to fire three top Human Resource managers due to disappointing results on survey about employees’ satisfaction. Airport Services is barely alive.

Yet, this report doesn’t mention survey results or the fact that three top managers left the company. Instead, Mr.Tim Clark painted a picture with butterflies and roses, telling the staff things he usually tells them, which can be translated as:

Everything is fine, Emirates is still a powerful company, we are earning loads of money, everyone is happy and proud to work for EK, but (and there is always a “but”) unfortunately some mysterious circumstances, outside the boundaries of your understanding, MIGHT occur and we will give our best to resolve it, but your profit share, which you have earned with your devotion, hard and proud work, is endangered. Maybe we will give you some charity, but don’t hope for much.

Mr.Tim Clark’s quarterly report

Someone could just ask a question: Is it wiser to mislead intelligent and educated employees, already demotivated and humiliated or is it wiser to deceive media and competition? You can’t deceive them both at the same time. This is Mr.Tim Clark’s decision, and I have no intention to interfere in it. He is an experienced and skilled top manager with a lot of difficult issues and decisions to deal with. But I want to send him a message that it is a very bad idea to treat people like previously mentioned flock of sheep. And you must think that your people are sheep if you tell them that they might not have their profit share because of the “falling rates of major currencies against the strong US dollar“:

Since October

Plunging oil prices have reduced our fuel bill greatly. But this has been partially offset by another challenge – falling rates of major currencies against the strong US dollar. As a large part of our revenues across the network are earned in foreign currencies, we now get much less when these are converted to the US dollar. And because of intense competition, our yields and route profits are under pressure. Our teams are working hard to reduce this twin impact on our business.

If this sentence was not so ridiculous, in circumstances where most of the customers buy their tickets with US dollars and credit cards, and the prices in local currencies are always equivalent to US dollar where company takes the highest rate of conversion, it would be just sad how one company president tries to justify the fact that he will not (maybe) pay his hard-working staff their deserved profit share.

Moreover, Mr.Tim Clark has the nerves to advise his employees how to save money (??).

Coming up

How can you help? Be firm about costs. With the financial year-end in March, don’t feel compelled to spend any surplus in your budget. Invest only in important projects that give solid returns. And rather than add more resources, work smart, think different. The more layers you add to the business, the graver the danger of losing speed and agility.

Mr.Tim Clark’s e-mail

Mr.Tim Clark gives a personal example for this last paragraph. He is very firm about his costs. He pays his ground staff 3500 AED salary, he doesn’t give profit share (or he gives just couple of weeks of it), he punishes pilots for flushing toilet paper in their homes with 600 euros salary deduction and so on.

On the other hand, Mr.Tim Clark “works smart” when he gives his unnecessary managers salary which is many times bigger than the salary of an average worker who deals with his airline’s safety, he spends money on failed projects (failed ABC check in and boarding system, for example) and he “thinks different” when he sponsors many sport events and teams, while many of his staff are ridiculed and humiliated with the salary and working conditions in his company.

I guess my End of Service Benefit, which I am expecting for 5 months now, is also lost in all the conversions from Serbian dinars to US dollars to UAE dirhams and back to US dollars and this is the reason why I didn’t get it so far. And as stupid as I am, I really do need Mr.Tim Clark’s advice on how to save the money which I don’t have.

But the important thing is that we are all proud that we worked or we are still working with Emirates and that our president is quite “touched” with our feedback on his report. Everything else, like profit share, survival in toxic organisational culture, deterioration of working conditions, massive turnover rate and incompetent management, is less important than the fact that we are all proud of being the part of it.

 

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