The meeting seems to have come about through the sheer volume of complaint that has reached Bournemouth. In fact, I suspect that a group of pilot managers have got together and told the originator of the letters to sort out the mess that he has created.
I've nothing against a union, but this is a far better response than you would ever get if a union were involved. In my experience, BALPA would have (eventually) met with management behind closed doors and some sort of deal would have been struck which would have completely shafted some minority of the workforce in favour of another minority.
Also, the full benefit unionisation is only achieved if/when you are prepared to strike. Even after this humiliating pay award, which has to be about as bad as you can get, how many of us would actually risk our company's health and destroy the public's confidence in our airline? If very few, then union or no union, how would we ever get a better deal?
Maybe us lot whining into our managers' phones for a few days has created more pain than a strike - and at no cost!
Last edited by MANBLK; 3rd April 2006 at 14:12.