Poll: Do you support the BA Cabin Crew 12 day strike at Christmas?

[scorza]

So you advocate a small group bullying to get people to cede to unreasonable demands that will have a long term negative effect on everyone involved in the setup?

Isn't this pretty much what management at most companies do?

Well, it's a position I suppose... Do you think that the cabin crew will be able to maintain their salary and perks if the airline goes into bankruptcy?

Irrelevant - they're contractually entitled to what they have at the moment. You wouldn't want to see people bullied into accepting lesser terms and conditions would you?

 

[RDM]

Isn't this pretty much what management at most companies do?

Only if the staff let them. In fact if most people didn't accept bullying then it would pretty much dissappear from the workplace. No company can afford to be replacing staff all the time and eventually people wouldn't want to work for them. Sadly far too many people would rather just complain and do nothing about it instead.

Irrelevant - they're contractually entitled to what they have at the moment. You wouldn't want to see people bullied into accepting lesser terms and conditions would you?

Isn't that a bit of a short sighted view?

 

[Dolph]

Hold on Dolph it's you that is saying "unreasonable demands" and as for "long term negative effect on everyone involved in the setup"

citation needed on that please.

You have a lot of ifs and buts in that post. I tend to like people that stand up for themselves and not get down trodden.

They are imho these people are so much better then some people that just moan & whing but do bugger all about it.

May I suggest going back to the start of the thread when the issues were discussed at length, highlighting the independant reviews of pay and how BA cabin crew at heathrow are paid between 50% and 100% more than their colleagues, and where how these plans have been in place at gatwick for a significant length of time with no ill effects, were discussed in depth?

Isn't this pretty much what management at most companies do?

Not to a rational, unbiased person, no.

Irrelevant - they're contractually entitled to what they have at the moment. You wouldn't want to see people bullied into accepting lesser terms and conditions would you?

BA are not touching the contract terms of the striking staff in any shape, manner or form. The changes relate to the number of staff per flight (not contractual) and contracts for future staff (not contractual to existing staff).

 

[Beansprout]

The most ridiculous thing is that LGW operates with the reduced staff and has done for some time.

BASSA are just being a bunch of power-crazy idiots.

 

[Luseac]

British Airways union announces strike dates

The union representing British Airways cabin crew has said its members will go on strike for three days from 20 March and for four days from 27 March.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8563728.stm

 

[Von Smallhausen]

You mean a return to the selfish, greedy Thatcherite mantra of "There is no such thing as society, just *ankers who deserve huge bonuses for gambling with your savings"

Do you wear a beret and sunglasses when you go out stockhausen ?

 

[stockhausen]

British Airways cabin crew will stage a series of strikes over two consecutive weekends this month, beginning with a three-day walkout on 20 March and followed by a four-day action from 27 March.

The first strikes by BA cabin crew in nearly 13 years have been called by the Unite trade union after a breakdown in talks over staffing cuts. The industrial action by up to 12,000 flight attendants has been timed to bring maximum disruption to BA, with the airline facing a struggle to reinstate a normal timetable between strikes. (The Grauniad)

So, only seven days then and not during the week . . . not unreasonable.

 

[Cosimo]

Do you wear a beret and sunglasses when you go out stockhausen ?

Bonjour Matelot.

 

[stockhausen]

Bonjour Matelot.

I thought that Von Smallhausen was a Police Officer, surely it should be "Bonjour Cochon"

 

[zetec452]

BA has said that those taking part will lose pay and perks, including no longer getting the right to buy heavily-discounted tickets.

I'm glad BA are digging their heals in here.

The strike action is going to do a lot of damage long term IMO. My parents are coming to see me in June would have usually flown BA. This pending strike action is enough to see them use another airline just in case.

 

[scorza]

I'm glad BA are digging their heals in here.

The strike action is going to do a lot of damage long term IMO. My parents are coming to see me in June would have usually flown BA. This pending strike action is enough to see them use another airline just in case.

All the more baffling then that BA's are taking an intransigent approach. I swear Willie Walsh will only be happy when BA are reduced to the level of RyanAir.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Good luck to the workers - 100% support from me.

I'm glad BA are digging their heals in here.

The strike action is going to do a lot of damage long term IMO. My parents are coming to see me in June would have usually flown BA. This pending strike action is enough to see them use another airline just in case.

Good - lets ignore the actual issues and instead concentrate on the impact on ME. Typical of the selfish society developing in this country where people only care about themselves and everyone else can go to hell (or the jobcenter).

We (Hewlett Packard) were out on strike last Monday and Tuesday as were the majority of the civil service. The country is in for a wake up call this summer.

 

[RDM]

All the more baffling then that BA's are taking an intransigent approach.

Possibly because giving in would be even worse from BA's point of view?

 

[LLBDTiberio]

I'm flying to New York on Sunday and coming back on the 22nd, so I guess I got off lightly.
All I can do now is wait and see what happens to my flight home, at Christmas flights from Newark were running as normal so I'm hoping for the best.
Even if the worst happens I've booked through an agent so they will hopefully get me home as I'm not meant to start work again until the 25th.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

I thought that Von Smallhausen was a Police Officer, surely it should be "Bonjour Cochon"

1/10 for originality.

 

[stockhausen]

BA cabin crew strike to go ahead as talks collapse

A strike by British Airways cabin crew will go ahead after talks between the airline and the Unite union collapsed.
...
BA chief Willie Walsh said the strike was "deeply regrettable". The airline has said 65% of passengers will reach their destination during the action.

Unite's joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, said that BA "ultimately wants to go to war with this union".
...
Mr Woodley had called on BA to put an earlier deal to end the strikes "back on the table" - a move he said would allow him to call off the strike while union members considered it. That settlement offer had included commitments on working hours and annual pay rises in exchange for the cabin crew workers agreeing to BA's planned £62.5m of cost cuts. But after announcing that the strike would go ahead, Mr Woodley said that the airline "did not want to negotiate. I am extremely disappointed for the travelling public and our members, but this union will now support our members, while remaining open for talks with the company," he said. "It is an absolute disgrace and an insult to our people that he (Mr Walsh) tabled a deal that reduced the amount of pay on offer. It is ridiculous to expect anyone to go to their membership with a worse offer." (BBC online)

Frankly, Willie Walsh and Tony Woodley deserve each other; the sooner BA goes down the pan to join the dinosaurs, the better

 

[Biohazard]

Agreed.

 

[stockhausen]

BA strike blame 'lies with those at the top'

An interesting point of view from someone with 30 years real experience rather than some right-wing armchair pundit:

BA's cabin crew are professional, caring towards their customers and proud to work for the national airline.
...
BA want a new fleet of cheaper staff. If existing staff want promotion, they will have to join the new fleet which earns only a flat rate of £2.60 per hour flying pay, with no meal allowances, overtime or long-range payments paid. This will lead to a higher turnover of staff and less experience on board. New crew will operate the long-range trips, which will cost existing crew their jobs.
...
Currently, basic pay is £12,000. It dropped from £17,000 in 1997 when BA introduced new pay scales for new crew. To this basic sum can be added allowances for food whilst away overseas, overtime and extra payments for working 6.5 hours. The level of allowance varies from £60 for a 3-day trip to India, to £800 for a 4-day trip to Japan - the difference being the cost of eating there and the longer-duty day.

The average total pay for BA main crew including allowances is similar to Virgin, about £22,000 (£12,000 to £14,000 basic plus £6,000 to £8,000 in allowances). Very few staff at the top reach £50,000 peak quoted by BA to the press. Virgin has a high turnover of staff which keeps its staff costs low and it has been operating for only 20 years, whereas BA is 60 years old. Senior staff in BA will have served twice the length of Virgin's most senior staff, which explains why BA staff are more expensive on average.
...
BA is now run by accountants. It has been cutting back on the costs of food and amenities onboard. So a first-class passenger who has paid £3,000 for their seat is refused a steak because only six are loaded for 14 customers. Sometimes, a first-class customer may only get their third-choice main meal. They advertise fine wines in first-class, but sometimes there is only one bottle of claret provided for 14 passengers. Many times there are shortages of amenities such as wash bags, plates, cutlery and duvets which is just not good enough for the money the customer pays. Crew report these shortages but nothing is done to resolve the issue.

BA has the highest number of back-office staff per aircraft of any UK airline, according to Civil Aviation Authority figures. This is where cuts can be made.
...
[BA chief executive] Willie Walsh and the board can only see pound signs before them, not the people behind the money who pay the fare. (BBC online)

 

[Biohazard]

An interesting point of view from someone with 30 years real experience rather than some right-wing armchair pundit:

""Cabin crew face no pay cut or reduction in terms and conditions and remain the best-rewarded in the UK airline industry."

Mind games, don't you love them.

 

[arfur]

everyone who strikes should have it on their record if they are proud to strike then see who gets jobs with other airlines when they run BA into the ground..