BA to strike

[Ahleckz]

Managed to sort out travel to Kiev from KLM. Means going via Amsterdam instead of London, but not a big problem.
The extra it costs is a pain though, but at least I'll get to see my Dad & a new city.

As noted above, the only thing that we can do is not to use the services of BA - we can't punish JUST the cabin-crews.

 

[RDM]

I have another question: what are the sacrifices that senior management are making to keep the company afloat?

I think they got rid of about 1/3 of the management and pretty much all of them agreed to the 1 month pay holiday. Walsh declined his £700,000 bonus last year though he did get a 6% pay rise.


It is pretty hard to justify a 50% premium on cabin crew costs compared to other airlines but I have no idea of the strings attached to that pay. However BA is not really in a good position so prolonged industrial action could cause the company severe difficulties which may be counterproductive in the long run for the union. But then UNITE aren't exactly the most reasonable of unions.

 

[Furton]

A great idea. But decided by who? Management? The Union? You? The passengers? All of the above will be pretty heavily biased.


I have another question: what are the sacrifices that senior management are making to keep the company afloat?


M

1400 managers have taken voluntary redundancy. Pilots and ground staff have taken pay cuts, everyone apart from the cabin crew have accepted cuts are needed. I really hope this is the end for the joke of a union Unite is, apparently with the court case in February regarding the new contracts, if Units loose, BA can hold them accountable for the loses over the strike as it would have been illegal. I would love it if the Union management lost their jobs.

 

[jonas123]

I think they got rid of about 1/3 of the management and pretty much all of them agreed to the 1 month pay holiday. Walsh declined his £700,000 bonus last year though he did get a 6% pay rise.


It is pretty hard to justify a 50% premium on cabin crew costs compared to other airlines but I have no idea of the strings attached to that pay. However BA is not really in a good position so prolonged industrial action could cause the company severe difficulties which may be counterproductive in the long run for the union. But then UNITE aren't exactly the most reasonable of unions.

And Willie worked a month unpaid. Everyone at BA understand the situation and are making sacrifices, but cabin crew are being completely misled by Unite. They are seeing full flights and can't understand why BA are losing money, but of course that is because a.) capacity has been taken out b.) tickets are being sold much more cheaply than before the recession. Ultimately the actions of Unite will be the downfall of the company and I really hope that the idiots heading Unite are gotten rid of.

 

[dirtydog]

I think they got rid of about 1/3 of the management and pretty much all of them agreed to the 1 month pay holiday. Walsh declined his £700,000 bonus last year though he did get a 6% pay rise.


It is pretty hard to justify a 50% premium on cabin crew costs compared to other airlines but I have no idea of the strings attached to that pay. However BA is not really in a good position so prolonged industrial action could cause the company severe difficulties which may be counterproductive in the long run for the union. But then UNITE aren't exactly the most reasonable of unions.

It's a 100% premium compared to Virgin.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Good luck to the workers and I hope BA management come up with a solutuion that suits all parties.

 

[russ0r]

A great idea. But decided by who? Management? The Union? You? The passengers? All of the above will be pretty heavily biased.

Isn't there a third party who is authorised to do this?
I forget the name of the organisation, I know there was talk of them getting involved in the RM strikes but RM refused.

 

[dangerstat]

Isn't there a third party who is authorised to do this?
I forget the name of the organisation, I know there was talk of them getting involved in the RM strikes but RM refused.

ACAS?

 

[russ0r]

ACAS?

That's the one, cheers.

 

[Destination]

Looks like we will be adding ba to the list of companies killed by unions at this rate...

If the strike goes ahead, it'll hurt BA, but in a simplistic way, people simply won't book BA flights again, they'll choose an alternative carrier. This will equate to more haemorrhaging of money by the company, and lead to considerable redundancies over time.

Well played the Union, you'll longterm end up with less members as they'll lose jobs due to your strike. Only chance is they are buffing on the strike, and BA don't have the balls to stay away fro the negotiating table.

 

[dowie]

Perhaps you should've started a thread in GD? This is a thread about BA striking not about whether you think unions are necessary in the 21st century.

I thought I was quite clearly pointing out why I feel this strike is unjustified and that that view is irrelevant to how it personally affects me tis still relevant regardless of the fact my opinion covers a broad range of strikes.

Your second logical fail is your inference that my opinion on striking being useless extends to a view that unions are useless.

and anyway it is a GD thread now so STFU tbh...

 

[mjt]

want a great way to save a company that's already made record losses? go on strike!
bunch of idiots.

as much as i dislike BA as an airline, this is rather unfortunate. striking over the holiday season is a **** take as well.

cabin crew have never been paid particularly well though. no offence to anyone who works in the industry, but it's hardly a mentally demanding job
as much i as i appreciate what they do and enjoy fantastic service, BA cabin crew have always been a bit under par, especially the wrinkly old hags on the long-haul sectors

 

[Freefaller]

Also supposed to be flying out on the 24th with BA

I'm supposed to fly out on the 27th... I've got back up plans provisionally booked but if it ****s up my skiing plans I shall not be happy.

I'm not a fan of BA, in fact I find them to be a rubbish airline and would never choose to fly with them (however this flight was not my decision and was booked on my behalf) but when a company is struggling to get themselves out of a rut, the last thing they're going to do is offer pay rises and I don't understand why they're expecting such a thing. They're lucky to still have their jobs!

Stupid blood idiotic precious pansy cabin crew ****s.

 

[J1234]

They're overpaid as it is, do you know any waiters that get paid £29k?

 

[Freefaller]

I can imagine them going "DOH" as they're told that BA no longer exists and they transfer to another airline for 1/2 the salary!

 

[Mr_T]

Missing the strike by 1 day! That would have really ruined my chistmas.

The salary figures are quite misrepresented, from what I've seen posted on other forums by actual crew, only senior cabin crew who fly on long haul international flight to & from heathrow get £29,000 a year.

All other cabin crew flying international & domestic are on around £19,000.

I'm not happy about the strike but I think it's terrible journalism that the media have latched onto one salary figure and are spinning it to suggest that all cabin crew are on £29k!

 

[Freefaller]

They're still paid more on average even as a junior than other airlines so the actual salary itself is a moot point. The fact of the matter is BA is not hitting it's turnover figures and needs to ratify a strategy and part of that was a pay freeze. Many people are having pay cuts, and many are being made redundant. What they are asking is ridiculous.

 

[Mad old tory]

Good luck to the workers and I hope BA management come up with a solutuion that suits all parties.

Why? Do you just blanket support all strikes or something?

The management have given up a lot to try and help the company but the cabin crew are being highly irresponsible striking when they get paid a great wage compared to their peers at other companies and their company is in trouble.

 

[Heliospherez]

They made a loss of 300m from Apr-Sept - and expect a 2 year pay freeze now. Why?

They made 700m profit alone in '07-08 - why didn't they bank that ?
and made 52m in 08-09
Revenue of £8,992,000,000

Thats a lot of monies.....

They voted 9 to 1 in favour of the strike (that's pretty high - even for corporations that are doing well - what does that tell you...) - and if you read the reasons, you will see why the employees are gettng screwed over.

And I wonder how many people here will be moaning when they do go under.
British airways are one of the only airlines I would choose to fly with, even if they are a lot more expensive (as opposed to all the other choices out of Belfast - who just haven't got a clue how to look after their passengers)

I once had the misfortune of getting a flight to Zurich with SwissAir and some other pickup at Heathrow. BA were the only ones that were professional and on-time. I have yet to fault them in any way - both for their service, when compared to their European equivelents.

Obviously it's pretty nasty striking at xmas.... and I wouldn't particularly do it myself. But when you are the figurehead of the aviation industry - and there are a lot of people getting laid off simply so that temps can be employed in the short term - why not ?

The reason they are making such a loss is because of our government - and the world economy. Nothing else. So why take it out of employees who have devoted 5, 10 or more years to them.

 

[Freefaller]

Figurehead? BA are a joke. They were the figurehead long ago, now they have nothing on other airlines. I wouldn't moan if they went under, though it would probably drive the prices up of other airlines owing to less competition. BA are so far behind the times.

However, I do support BA's management and do oppose the pathetic little trolley dolly's ideologies of what they think they should get.