Just hope they will be careful of the 'entertainment' they provide:

Swissair pilots agree to pay cuts


Another milestone for swiss; former Swissair pilots agree to the new collective contract [Keystone]


The union of former Swissair pilots has voted in favour of a new Collective Labour Agreement (CLA), which will cut their pay and pension benefits.

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Eighty-three per cent of Aeropers members approved the CLA, which includes �reductions in salary and pension fund obligations of 35 per cent�, Aeropers said in a statement. Some 17 per cent voted against the new collective contract.

Switzerland�s new national airline, �swiss�, welcomed the result as �another milestone�.

Aeropers business manager, Christoph Ulrich, said he was relieved at the result. �Our members realised the seriousness of the situation and came to the conclusion that both they and �swiss� needed this CLA,� he said in a statement.



Crossair pilots sceptical

Former Crossair pilots have still to vote on the new agreement. �I hope that [they] will vote in favour of the CLA,� said �swiss� chief executive, Andr� Dos�.

Despite offering Crossair pilots a 16 per cent salary increase on top of the 28 per cent rise in 2001, the union is unhappy about the contract because it still means that Crossair pilots would earn less than their Swissair counterparts.

The union argues that the type of aircraft flown and the seniority principle puts it pilots at a disadvantage. Its pilots are on average younger than their Swissair counterparts, and would be the first affected by any lay-offs.

The Crossair union has challenged the agreement, and is seeking a decision from an arbitrator.



�swiss� extends fleet

Meanwhile, �swiss� has confirmed that it has bought 13 Airbus A340-300s, as part of an upgrade of its fleet. The new aircraft, which will be used for long-haul flights, will replace its Boeing MD-11s.

http://www2.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=161&sid=1170471