Stick Together!
lgw have always been kept at arms length and been unsupported, on conditions, on pay, on nsp entry. this is now coming to bite lhr when they would LIKE our support, but the reality of the situation is lhr don't NEED it, just want it.
unfortunately lhr are overpaid for what they do and it's hard for anyone to give up money but in this next round between us and ba (because regardless of the divide we must MUST MUST MUST STAND UNITED) lhr is likely to feel the edge of the axe. lgw is a fantastic place to work, we aren't on great money but if t*ts and teeth count for anything you don't see wider smiles in the aisles than lgw right now.
this is how i feel:
WE have a common love and a common enemy right now, WE love our jobs, WE love our company and WE love the lives we are priveledged enough to lead around the globe, our common enemy however is our senior management. as long as he saves money he'll stay, no matter how much WE hate him. WE can't not serve pax because WE haven't the crew or the resources as it isn't the way WE do things, WE can't make him bring the old days back and WE can't make him give us more money. WE are valued above all other cabin crew in the industry and WE are lucky enough to have a superb safety record thanks to OUR flight crew AND OUR engineers, this is OUR weapon.
we can't strike until a failure to agree has been announced but colleagues from everywhere within ba, when this comes it is a call to arms. the business as a whole must defend the jewel in it's crown to stop British Airways becoming a white elephant. lhr, lgw, flight crew, cabin crew and engineers if willie walsh wants to test our strength and flex his muscles then let him, but lets make sure we flex right back.
some us might be young and pretty, some of us might be old and grey, some of us with degree's, some with gces. it is our diversity in skill and experience that makes us strong in our cabin's, deck's or hangers and it is our diversity that makes this airline what we have made it. everything needs to change and grow with market forces, modern culture and the business environment but we have changed and given enough and it is time to ask for something in return.
IF our unions ask it of us WE must stand united as one front to protect everything WE have now and to protect British Airways. if our management continue with this freight train of simply forcing policy we wil be a less motivated, less rested, over worked work force and could easily end up as the latest national carrier to fall to the low cost model. British Airways is not and never will be a low cost operator so we should not have low cost salaries and low cost policies. WE are a full service, 4 class, flag carrier. WE are the faces, the hardware and the driving force behind OUR airline. British Airways is not the brain child of our management, nor is it the garage sale of wille walsh for him to sell us down the river.
WE are Cabin Crew, WE are Flight Crew WE are British Airways AND WE MUST STAND TOGETHER.