Carnage mate, I don't know who's payslips you have seen but £1600 - £1800 per month, take home is definitely not the average for a new starter on short-haul. Perhaps at LHR WW, new contract, it would be fairly average, but on short-haul the average I would say is £1300-£1400.
I think the issue really at hand here, is with many of our terms and conditions, yes, they do seem out of date. And yes, they may be hard to jusity to someone who is not BA cabin crew. And yes, these t&c's probably do invoke anger in some BA work forces whom don't have an effective union and whom have seen their t&c's deteriorate over the years.
Most of us know we don't need 4 Pursers and a CSD on the 747. Most of us know we earn more than the average UK cabin crew member and have more time off. Most of us know the record profits BA has been earning.
However, in any job, in any company, in any industry there will always be one company at the top end of the scale in terms of pay and t&c's and one at the bottom. I mean do those working at Barclays get paid the same as those working at Lloyds? Do those working at DirectLine get paid the same as those working at Churchill? Do pilots or engineers working for Aviance get the same as those at Aer Lingus? I don't know the answer to any of these, but i suspect in every example, one of the companies enjoys significantly better pay, terms and conditions than the other.
And this is probably down to the effectiveness of their union - management negotiation. Unfortunately the NEGOTIATION bit is what seems to be lacking at BA at the moment, both on the management and union side. BASSA has a reputation of being staunch and inflexible, so BA bring in staunch and inflexible management to deal with them. The result? Well what is being witnessed right now actually.
The problem for us now is, we HAVE to vote YES. And if so, see it through to a 'strike'.
I feel a little like I am being held by the bol*ocks by BASSA. I don't want to vote to strike on any of the issues we are being balloted on (which is ONLY pensions, Purser removal and merging old/new contracts) because I don't think we have reached the end of the road negotiation wise.
BA will never back down totally on pensions (at a £500M per year cost to keep the pension status quo they would rather a strike any day). We know we can't justify in any way, shape or form 5 senior crew members on a jumbo. And the old/new contract scenario EU legislation will take care of soon enough anyway.
However, now that BASSA and the hundred odd members whom attended the last meeting have decided this vote is to take place, if there is not a big enough YES vote, when much greater battles come (WHICH I BELIEVE WILL COME SOON WITH THE MOVE TO T5)) we will have no sway what so ever with management.
Personally, I am more concerned with EG300, loss of box payments, loss of STP, loss of ETP. But we aren't being balloted on any of this. Yet, when all this does come to the table, if there had been a dismal YES return on the current issues, management will be able to steamroll whatever changes through because they won't fear a strike based on the previous (ie current) industrial action.
Get what I mean? It is a catch 22. I don't want to strike and don't really believe strongly on any of the issues we are ACTUALLY BEING BALLOTED ON. However, I will vote YES to keep the union in a strong position for when the rest of the stuff comes up. But I AM pis*ed off that BASSA has voted on a ballot now, instead of waiting closer to T5 opening and when more of our t&c's are up for grabs.
Last edited by keeperboy; 11th December 2006 at 17:37.
Reason: spelling