Air travel faces further disruption as strikes loom in pay dispute

[green granite]

Here we go again.

Air travel faces further disruption as strikes loom in pay dispute

Travel chaos expected if union takes industrial action following Thursday's result of a ballot of 6,000 airport workers

Millions of airline passengers face the prospect of more travel disruption if firefighters, security guards and ground staff at Heathrow and five other airports vote for strike action in a pay dispute.

The result of a ballot of more than 6,000 workers at airports operated by the British Airports Authority (BAA) is expected on Thursday, and their union, Unite, has warned it will move swiftly towards industrial action if members want it.

Airports might be forced to shut by the August bank holiday, even though the union must give a week's notice of stoppages, which could also hit Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports.



Full article: Air travel faces further disruption as strikes loom in pay dispute | World news | guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/09/air-travel-disruption-strikes-unite)

[Callsign Kilo]

I also believe Spanish ATC are due to strike this week into the weekend?

[DC10RealMan]

I wonder if this is part of a general frustration with "the system" where ordinary people ie: The Workers have their pay frozen, pensions stolen, increasing cost of living, savings (if they have any) devalued etc whilst the politicians and other wealthy fat cats take a larger and larger slice of the pie even when they c**k things up. I dont know about striking it amazes me that there has not been a revolution.

[The Gorilla]

What we are witnessing is democracy at work. For every industry that has a strong union with workers prepared to exercise industrial relation rights, there are dozens that don't. The destruction of the RAF is being mirrored across civvy street by very senior managers who are quite happy to pay peanuts and break current conditions etc , whilst taking huge bonuses for increased production. It isn't just the union barons and MP's who are corrupt!!

Like everything else in our sad cursed country today, with anything that is legislated the pendulum always swings too far the wrong way!

With the current and planned states of the Air Farce how many of you still in would vote to strike or take other action because of what your management are doing, if you were able to of course?

The really heavy artillery in the union world is sat waiting for post Oct 10 and a cold long winter..

The Condems will not last much beyond this next winter, the problem we all face is that there is absolutely no one to replace them!!
:\

[glad rag]

Valid couple of last posts, I knew things we not going to be "easy"but felt that the last lot had to go.

However in their almost ecclesiastical desire to balance the books the coalition seem to have forgotten that the ousted were, and still are masters of manipulating the media to their benefit.

Throw in the attitudes of the trotskyites union leaders and the general malcontent that is brewing through out the nation in the face of unemployment (when you can actually get onto the figures) financial strife etc and you can see that unless they REALLY start getting their message across in a more meaningful way then they are doomed.

[DC10RealMan]

I think that comments about union bosses and Trotskyist trade unionists are quite invalid in this 21st Century world and would not be amiss in the Daily Mail or Daily Express (together with a story about princess diana!). It was certainly valid in the 1970s and 1980s when the Soviet Union was a super power but not today. The political class whether new labour or libcon only represent the wealthy and are paid to do their bidding hence the pendulum has swung too far in their favour and against the ordinary citizens of the country. This is true of all western first world countries not just the UK and until this stranglehold is broken it is all downhill for "ordinary people"
It has always been true that parents has always aspired that their children will have a happier and materially better off life than them. I wonder if this is still true?

[IB4138]

General Strike in Spain, scheduled for 29 September.

[cesare.caldi]

If approved, when will be the strike at LHR?

[Siforest65]

My wife works in a call centre for a bank and they have announced they will all get a 100% pay cut (redundancy) with over 300 staff losing their jobs. They are in the Unite Union who have basically washed their hands of them and told them they just have to get on with it.

Makes me think that they are "cherry picking" their fights for maximum media exposure, after all waiting a few more minutes for the phone to be answered when you are renewing your insurance doesn't quite have the same effect as grounding hundreds of flights.

[call100]

Why do people like you continue to post utter clap trap. Your ignorance is astounding. If you know little of the subject matter then best keep quiet and give the illusion of intelligence.
Spouting generalisations is folly at the best of times. To do it to a new organisation that represents millions of people very well is beyond that. Local reps and organisation look after their members and put in a lot of hard work.
Most companies work very well with the TU's and there are far, far more agreements than disputes......

[call100]

OK so you have personal axe to grind. A lot of your story has a lot of hearsay in it.
The Union do not make the decisions to represent any legal challenges, their Lawyers do after looking at the facts. The Union will go with that decision. As it was a matter between the person and a member of the public I doubt it was something the Union would represent anyway.
As for the FTO's visiting and using Bully boy tactics and scaremongering. I doubt that it was anything like that. The question of bonus, again hearsay and rubbish.
All the people that have had their jobs saved over the years I've been in the Union and the decent wages and conditions hard fought for have been worth every penny of the subs. Local reps and FTO's have been exemplary in their conduct.
As usual Generalisation and condemnation of an entire organisation does not recognise the good that the organisation actually does.

[Alvechurch]

Call 100

As someone living in the West Midlands I'm surprised to see you defending the Unite Union.
You should be aware that the Transport & General Workers Union which forms part of the Unite organisation was instrumental in destroying MG-Rover as Tony Woodley, the Gen Sec, fought the management through the High Courts to prevent the them introducing a redundancy programme because there was a historical 'Jobs for Life' agreement from years before thus bankrupting the company.
Tony Woodley appears to be a throwback to the union leaders of old, a Liverpudlian 'red robbo' whose only policy is to bring companies to their knees.
A member of my family was a union rep at Longbridge during that period and saw close up what went on.
He now appears to be trying to repeat his successful demolition of Britain's last car manufacturer by undermining its airport industry, the man is a menace.

[call100]

Alvechurch
You make the same mistake....Generalisation...Mainly borne of ignorance of day to day representation in many work places.......Unite as you say is a union of the T&G and Amicus. Far to big to make the broad statements you do.
If you look at the downfall of MG Rover I think you will find that the mismanagement and the workforce combined in it's demise. The workforce all being members of the Unions at the workplace.
As for repeating it in Aviation. Again ignorance of the facts and ignorance of the many agreements in place that have enabled the aviation industry to change. By all means comment on the facts of each individual dispute but tarring all with the same brush is wrong. You insult all TU members within aviation as they are the Union.

[ILS25]

Looks like Spanish ATC strike won't be in August, thank God as i'm heading off to Majorca next week.:ok:


Spanish Air Traffic Controllers say no strike in August
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By h.b. - Aug 10, 2010 - 9:35 PM

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/spain/uploads/4/cesarcabo2.jpgCésar Cabo, the communications secretary of the USCA union - EFE
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/images/mag.png (http://www.typicallyspanish.com/spain/uploads/4/cesarcabo2.jpg)
The decision has been welcomed by the tourist sector and talks with AENA are set to restart on Wednesday

The Spanish Air Traffic Controllers have decided, in a meeting this (Tuesday) evening that they will not call a strike in August. The USCA union says they have taken the decision following requests from the tourist sector and the airlines, underlining that they understand the concerns voiced by the industry.

USCA Spokesman, César Cabo, said the decision was ‘a demonstration of responsibility’ by the controllers.

Airlines, hoteliers and travel agencies have been quick to welcome the decision.

The Spanish Airport Authority, AENA, has responded to the news by saying that they will restart talks with the union tomorrow, Wednesday.


Read more: Spanish Air Traffic Controllers say no strike in August (http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_26945.shtml#ixzz0wF2myiNF)