HandSolo won't give anyone a break - he has his line in specialist dialectic and sloganeering, just like his buddy tandemrotor. Ignoring his line, my point at present relates to pensions. I and a few others asked BALPA and BA on here and directly at the time for support in opposing the closure of the BRAL scheme to new members. We pointed out that presumably owning a Company counts for something, ie BA should not count BACX as equivalent to Monarch or Emerald or whoever you like, because BACX and BA mainline were owned by the same shareholders, however you like to describe it. We also pointed out that if closure of the BRAL scheme to new members went ahead without opposition, then mainline would be next. It is obvious to all that a small outfit like BRAL had virtually no industrial clout compared to mainline, but mainline CC were determined to show how sophisticated and superior they were to the newcomers, and basically Solo and his mates and BALPA provided no assistance at all, and the scheme was closed. One of the irritating things about BA generally is that when it suits them, we are part of BA (ie dumping their wannabe Captains on us - we had no voice or choice in that, which screwed up many longer serving BRALs who were relocated because mainline FOs had pinched their seats) We are also very much BA when it comes to be overcharged by BA for services, handling etc etc, not to mention being turned into a lossmaking enterprise because of their inept management - and very much separate when it comes to any benefits for our workforce. Any GSS pilots reading this will identify exactly with what I mean -
British Airways Line Pilot's Association sadly, that is what it is, and always will be about.
However, let's stick to pensions. Sad to say, we were proved right, and the BA pension scheme was also closed to new members (you will note the HUGE amount of opposition to this closure by both BALPA and Solo and his friends - yet once again a case of "I'm all right Nigel" - yes yes, I'm sure they
sympathised......now, just as we forecast, their scheme, like ours, is faced with some tough choices, and because, FINALLY, their own back pocket is threatened, we get all the hot air and froth and threats of a strike. Interesting to wonder whether had they looked down from their Ivory tower [with swampy foundations] earlier, both pensions schemes might still be open to new members - but never let anyone accuse them of foresight, common sense, or anything except selfish and greedy self-interest.
Conclusion - even now, working together might just save both schemes, not to mention being a shot in the arm for the sad and sorry remnants of what was a highly profitably regional operation before BA imported their managers and techniques. I don't expect it to happen though, Solo and Co have allowed themselves to be manipulated by Willie in exactly the way Scargill was manipulated by Maggie - in this case, the public are sick to death of BA industrial action, usually wildcat and usually in the summer. Do you think they will have any sympathy for Solo and co - I doubt it.
Do you think the public will want to hear about pensions of a group who can be presented as earning hugely in excess of 100K pa (because that's how Willie will present it). I'm sure the rebuttals of my post will once again traipse over the justification for not allowing BRAL pilots into the seniority list, I'm sure it will once again be all our fault, with talk of what we brought to the party compared to Chippy Fryer, (what exactly are BA doing with the 2200 prime time LHR slots they got from us????; how DO those slots compare in value to a few obsolescent RJs???) but hey, let's stick to the issue. BALPA might do well to remember what happened to the Miners Union..............
