Overstress:
- If my post was vitriol I apologise.
- I am seriously not jealous: I made some decisions when younger that hindsight shows could have been made differently. The man at Royal Insurance on my 18th birthday showed me pictures of his yacht in the Med and told me I could have the same, at his age, if I joined them. I didn't. I eventually changed career and now no longer have this burning desire to do something else (ie fly aeroplanes).
- Envy: It might be nice to have pots of gold in reserve but I don't need or want a Bentley, 10 bedrooms, pools, electric gates etc. Some of my friends have and it is fun, for a while.
" Nothing you have said bears any relation to the main point, which is that BA CAN AFFORD TO PAY the pension deficit (they've 'found' £500m already) but instead they expect us to vary our contracts, accept a vastly reduced pension and fund their deficit for them."
The MAIN POINT is that those in charge of BA run it for the benefit of those who OWN it. They may be able to afford to pay but don't want to. They may want to make BA look like a good bet on the international investors' stage (that impresses the owners, doesn't it?) and one way is to adopt strategies that other companies have shown to work in today's market. And change them to make them work better.
I don't happen to agree with the latest dogma that suggests upsetting people gets the best out of them. By offering to share the burden of change surely BA is doing a lot more than other companies who have simply closed down their expensive pension schemes, often after the horse had bolted.
BALPA's team may be high-powered but how many of these schemes have they managed to get companies to retain? Of course, if they win this one in the short term there is enormous kudos - think of their own CVs !
I do agree with BALPA :" We see it as our job to challenge; to test the assumptions; to accept nothing at face value. And then, and only then, might it be time to talk." Not strike, surely?
Contractual obligations can be varied and at a cost - BA is accepting a cost. It is called renegotiation.
While it would be fantastic if promises made many years ago were honoured absolutely, many family lawyers would be on the breadline. Be serious.
"Pensions are your future, your family’s future, and a promise from the Company. Support your union, protect your pension and your family and let us ensure BA fulfils its promise."
Having dealt with the bits of the first sentence (as you and your family's future depends on the OWNERS of BA enjoying the benfits of OWNING a successful, money-making concern) - why is the underlined phrase first in the second sentence? Surely the most important bit should be FIRST - 'Protect your family's future, your job, your pension etc'. Supporting your union is one of the ways of trying to do this. Does this slogan show BALPA's real priority?
"I'm sure the travellling public will get plenty of warning of industrial action, we are not baggage loaders" .. oh dear. Apart from anything else this says, don't forget you are contracted to fly people who may have made very, very big plans months ago and chose to honour BA to with their custom and booked in advance to do so. BA depend on this goodwill and advance bookings to plan, to cost, to roster, to recruit etc. Your position in BA also depends on BA's ability to do this well.
Overstress, you are right to be upset. I was upset 15 years ago when the directors of the best company I had ever worked for, and with whom I played squash, socialised, helped out etc. made me redundant. Overnight. But it had to come as the market changed.
Don't pretend it is a global issue and risk upsetting the global passengers and their lives.
I hope it all works out for you.