TOTAL. A lesson for Walsh
Mill owners all round the UK must have celebrated at the hard line taken by TOTAL bosses against workers at their Lindsey refinery, who walked out in protest over job losses. Even a few people on this forum got some comfort out of this news as an example that with the expected dispute in BA on the horizon, cabin crew would also get short shrift from a rampant Walsh.
So how lovely this-morning to see a tight lipped Human Resources Manager from TOTAL wheeled out in front of SKY cameras, to plead with the union to get his ball back.
And you can imagine the scenario now unfolding at BA. Walsh pathalogically unable to back down and refusing to compromise, harking back to his old days as a militant trade unionist, pushes BA's cabin crew into a corner and out go the strike ballots. He used 9/11 to scare Aer Lingus staff and now he is doing the same with the current downturn. How lucky can you get?
Viewing the various forums where cabin crew are speaking out, I was astonished to find that it is on BA's own ESS forum where without the protection of a pseudonym, BA cabin crew are lashing Walsh. Dozens of crew have stated exactly what the think of Walsh and his tactics. In fact he has even replied publicly on the forum to a letter from one steward, the tone of which has further incensed the cabin crew community.
This does not bode well for BA management who wish to push through their proposals, as all these crew have committed themselves to standing up to imposed change. Forum rules do not allow me to copy and paste, but I would assure you that the openess of the debate on the company website is startling. For a moment I thought I was on the BASSA forum!
But the cabin crew are mere pawns in Walsh's agenda, his real target is the government. By the time the restructured APD rates commence, BA will be in such a fragile state that the swingeing increases will automatically push the airline into bankruptcy. Will Gordon Brown dare introduce the new rates of APD whilst the UK's aviation industry is in crisis and risk killing the goose?
That is why Walsh has nothing to lose. It will all be over anyway next year.
Last edited by Stall Pusher; 23rd June 2009 at 08:22.