Narrative:

At gate awaiting cargo doors to close prior to pushback checklist. Ground crew comes on ics and informs captain that they have several bags to load; but would I mind kicking off the brakes for an 'on-time.' when informed them of SOP and that I would not be able to do that; the ground personnel informed me that we would go without the bags. Since I do not run load planning; when the cargo door closed we ran the pushback checklist; called for the pushback and then informed the ground personnel we were ready to push; brakes set. We pushed back tail north; and set the parking brake. At this point the ground personnel informed the captain vice requesting that they were opening the cargo door for bag loading. We had been had! At that point there was no point of counseling the ground personnel; as SOP and safety violations of this nature are systemic and it would have been a waste of my time. We received the salute and release; waited for the 60 second delay to start the second engine and taxied down taxiway B; south. This was the second time on this trip that we had adhered to SOP; only to have the ramp load bags after we were cleared to push in ord. On the first one; the ground personnel had the courtesy to request loading the bags from the captain after I had released the parking brake; and indeed it was only a couple of bags vice an entire cart as is often the case. As such; it was not a violation or a request to violate SOP and did not give me reason to write a report. The second; most recent episode was; however; and egregious SOP violation. I am not sure what I can do to avoid this in the future; as I cannot physically stop ground personnel from opening the cargo door without my permission. This abrogation of captain's authority/authorized is especially heinous given the pressure that the ground personnel are placed under by their mgt supervisors to get the aircraft blocked out in pursuit of on-time performance bonuses. It leaves me extremely frustrated and wondering why we have SOP's if they are routinely ignored in the pursuit of operational performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW IS CONCERNED WITH PUSHBACK PROCS AND LACK OF SOP'S BEING USED BY GND PERSONNEL.

Narrative: AT GATE AWAITING CARGO DOORS TO CLOSE PRIOR TO PUSHBACK CHKLIST. GND CREW COMES ON ICS AND INFORMS CAPT THAT THEY HAVE SEVERAL BAGS TO LOAD; BUT WOULD I MIND KICKING OFF THE BRAKES FOR AN 'ON-TIME.' WHEN INFORMED THEM OF SOP AND THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT; THE GND PERSONNEL INFORMED ME THAT WE WOULD GO WITHOUT THE BAGS. SINCE I DO NOT RUN LOAD PLANNING; WHEN THE CARGO DOOR CLOSED WE RAN THE PUSHBACK CHKLIST; CALLED FOR THE PUSHBACK AND THEN INFORMED THE GND PERSONNEL WE WERE READY TO PUSH; BRAKES SET. WE PUSHED BACK TAIL N; AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. AT THIS POINT THE GND PERSONNEL INFORMED THE CAPT VICE REQUESTING THAT THEY WERE OPENING THE CARGO DOOR FOR BAG LOADING. WE HAD BEEN HAD! AT THAT POINT THERE WAS NO POINT OF COUNSELING THE GND PERSONNEL; AS SOP AND SAFETY VIOLATIONS OF THIS NATURE ARE SYSTEMIC AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WASTE OF MY TIME. WE RECEIVED THE SALUTE AND RELEASE; WAITED FOR THE 60 SECOND DELAY TO START THE SECOND ENG AND TAXIED DOWN TXWY B; S. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME ON THIS TRIP THAT WE HAD ADHERED TO SOP; ONLY TO HAVE THE RAMP LOAD BAGS AFTER WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH IN ORD. ON THE FIRST ONE; THE GND PERSONNEL HAD THE COURTESY TO REQUEST LOADING THE BAGS FROM THE CAPT AFTER I HAD RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE; AND INDEED IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF BAGS VICE AN ENTIRE CART AS IS OFTEN THE CASE. AS SUCH; IT WAS NOT A VIOLATION OR A REQUEST TO VIOLATE SOP AND DID NOT GIVE ME REASON TO WRITE A RPT. THE SECOND; MOST RECENT EPISODE WAS; HOWEVER; AND EGREGIOUS SOP VIOLATION. I AM NOT SURE WHAT I CAN DO TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE; AS I CANNOT PHYSICALLY STOP GND PERSONNEL FROM OPENING THE CARGO DOOR WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. THIS ABROGATION OF CAPT'S AUTH IS ESPECIALLY HEINOUS GIVEN THE PRESSURE THAT THE GND PERSONNEL ARE PLACED UNDER BY THEIR MGT SUPVRS TO GET THE ACFT BLOCKED OUT IN PURSUIT OF ON-TIME PERFORMANCE BONUSES. IT LEAVES ME EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED AND WONDERING WHY WE HAVE SOP'S IF THEY ARE ROUTINELY IGNORED IN THE PURSUIT OF OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.