crucially, the BACC KNOW that there will never be stomach for a strike at BA.
Why the pessimism. I think 1, 2, 8, 9 and certainly 11 would be enough to provoke industrial action. Item 3 is already a reality in short haul, item 4 is a necessity for long range flying, and 5 is already a reality, all within the scope of BLRs.
I think there is something of a tendency to be inward looking here, particularly as this is a pilots forum. Sure there are savings to be made in those proposals, but consider the size of the savings compared to the cost of the industrial unrest. Flight Ops is a minnow in BA, with a small budget in comparison to the behemoth departments in Mike Streets empire. BA could save vastly more with less unrest by simply making small economies in those departments. Why would they choose to seek confrontation by attempting to tear up the agreements of the pilots when there are much, much easier savings to be made?
[quote]but as the deadline loomed phones at BALPA HQ rang off the wall with people saying a ballot was one thing but actually striking another. BA meanwhile had threatened to use heavyweight lawyers to sue individual pilots for loss of revenue from services they would have operated but did not due to taking strike action. And BA would have used them.[./quote]
But they can't use them now. Employment law has changed. Legal industrial action now affords more protection to employees.
For the flightcrew scum (and yes, folks at Waterworld....... do think of us in precisely those terms – I’ve overheard them)
Oh really? Funny old thing because I have a friend who worked at Waterside as a contractor for some considerable time who said flight crew were generally held in very high regard by everyone he met there. I've had nothing but courtesy when I've been in there in uniform. I don't buy in to the persecution complex.
I predict that a lot of very experienced people will be looking for an early way out of BA.
I've no doubt you do speak for yourself Fred, but with a reasonable pension pot already and not so many years to retirement then bailing out is an attractive option. Over a third of BAs current pilot force has over 20 years to go to retirement and I think they'd prefer to stay and fight for their contracts.