SG flight instructors allegedly discriminated by Boeing

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/08/10...ted-by-boeing/

SG flight instructors allegedly discriminated by Boeing


August 10th, 2015 |
Author: Editorial





It
was reported on BT last month (‘Alleged discrimination at Boeing campus draws
MOM probe’, 20 Jul) that Singaporean flight instructors have allegedly been
discriminated by Boeing in Singapore.

One Singaporean instructor was undergoing a conversion course to teach pilots
to fly Boeing 787 aircraft. He used to be an instructor pilot for the Boeing 747
aircraft and has 46 years of flying experience.
In March, he was told to discontinue the conversion programme due to a “lack
of performance”. He claimed that the training was conducted with “unnecessary
harshness” with “little or no instructional guidance”, in a deliberate attempt
to undermine his confidence and ability.

“(The) staff is deliberately making it extremely difficult for Singapore
nationals to be employed and qualified on the B787 fleet,” he said. “They are
systematically not training, and disqualifying Singaporean pilot
instructors.”

When contacted, a spokesman for Boeing strongly denied this, “While this is a
rigorous training programme designed to ensure the safety of the global air
transport network, more than 90 per cent of the candidates pass these courses.
Pilots who are diligent in the training have a high success rate regardless of
national origin or past experience.”

But Boeing declined to share a breakdown of the number of local and foreign
pilot instructors it employs, when asked by BT.

Another veteran ex-SIA pilot, who spoke to BT on condition of anonymity, said
that he did not make it past the interview round with Boeing Singapore Flight
Services. “What I gathered is, they’re trying to protect their turf,” he
said.

BT revealed that, apparently, non-Singapore-based instructor pilots are
typically flown in on Business Class tickets and put up at hotels such as the
Pan Pacific to work in Singapore for 1 to 2 months.

MOM is said to be investigating Boeing currently with regard to the
discrimination complaint against Singaporeans. According to the complainant,
there is a concerted effort to “protect and promote foreign pilot instructors
who are based outside Singapore”.

It’s already bad to have FTs residing in Singapore competing for jobs with
Singaporeans but flying in FTs from outside Singapore to work here tops it
all.

Boeing: We’re cooperating with MOM fully with regard to immigration
matters

Earlier, TRE wrote to Boeing asking about the matter which was reported by
BT.

TRE asked Boeing:


“It (BT) wrote that Boeing has been getting contractors to fly into Singapore
to work as flight instructors from time to time.

We are asking how this is possible as anyone who wants to work in Singapore
would require the person to apply for a work visa.

What kind of work visas are you applying for your contract workers in
Singapore?

Thank you.”
Since then, Jay Krishnan from Boeing has replied:


From: I-Krishnan, Jay
Date: Thu, Aug 6, 2015 at 10:01 AM
Subject: TR Emeritus Query

Thank you for your query and apologies for not getting back to you sooner.
Here’s our response to your query:

Boeing Flight Services coordinates and fully cooperates with the
Singapore Ministry of Manpower regarding immigration matters.

Best regards,

Jay Krishnan
Boeing Communications
Do you think Boeing has adequately answered the question posed by TRE?

Do you think it is right for companies to fly in foreign contractors to work
in Singapore on short term basis?


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