Originally Posted by
Chief Willy
I actually agree with a lot of that, seniority systems help to suppress wages for sure. Your seniority number has a £ value at the end of the day. But the issue now is how would you introduce a new system now into an airline like BA without there being many “losers” in the fallout? Also there is the added issue of job (in)security. Who in their right mind would bid for a 777/380/LGW command in a non-seniority system knowing in the very next downturn their job is toast? Seniority has major flaws but also brings with it some element of security. Sadly that means those at the bottom of the list in this, the biggest of all industry downturns ever, have had some dreadfully s****y bad luck and an unimaginably awful couple of years. There’s no perfect system and no nice way to deal with downturns/redundancies at the end of the day.
Well exactly. To introduce a new system would either have to be short dramatic and painful or overtime and painful.
Should redundancies be done by performance? How do you measure that. What ever method is used pros and cons can be attached. No seniority with everyone’s head on the block can mean the bad eggs get removed.
What ever method is chosen people will suffer, it’s horrible.
Like you have said no perfect system is out there. Seniority does have benefits and in a situation like COVID last in first out can seem fair. BA didn’t really do that for COVID though did they. I know a few guys personally who got the ****ty end of the stick, despite seeing peeps joining over 12 months after them but on to the “protected” fleet. BA made a mess of that one IMO and it’s going to be sore for a while.