GS-Alpha: Yes, it was a pleasant surprise about the teachers' salaries, as I have always heard about how they (and other key workers) earn so little - and I think it's a disgrace. I also live in London, so I know how high the cost of living is here. The reason why I was pleasantly surprised is because I have had enough of all this now and wish to re-train as a teacher, so I will not be taking the drop in salary that I feared.
Let me make it clear that I do not want a strike, but I want to make my voice heard in order that my management acknowledges my concerns. But the management have put themselves in a dangerous position when their employees feel they have nothing to lose anymore.
Carnage-Matey: BASSA is not a few militant people in an office, but representatives of the cabin crew community. So it is incorrect to say that we have not met BA management halfway on some issues: Our reps urged us not to accept the EG300 (turns out they were correct), but we as a union agreed to have it implemented; our reps urged those as LGW not to accept the SF-LGW, but we agreed to it (again, to our peril); post Sept 11th, we as a union agreed to help cut costs by signing up to the TEMPORARY removal of a crew member from our longhaul aircraft - and that has become a PERMANENT removal, bringing us below the level of crew complements on airlines such as Singapore, Malaysia, JAL, ANA, Virgin, etc. So it cannot be said that we don't make concessions.
I have been looking with interest at the other airlines' threads on this forum and have noted that the spin about BA cabin crew being the most expensive in the world is utter nonsense. Perhaps those on the old contract used to be paid above industry rates, but that is no longer the case. I have worked for the company for 10 years and I am paid pretty much the same as Virgin, less that Emirates and JAL, and more than Easyjet. I signed a contract prior to starting my course at BA and at the end of the 6 weeks, was given another contract to sign - cutting my salary effectively in half. I was told that I had to sign it or leave. That was a great start to my flying career. (One would wonder how that was legal, but 'zay hef vays and means'...) But at least there was the prospect then of going for promotion to increase my earning potential. That option has now been removed from me. I am working harder than ever; downroute time off has been reduced; the crew complement has been reduced; transport has been reduced (Central area bus and the 285; I can't afford a car - I know: boo-hoo, poor me); I have never called in sick when I have not been genuinely ill, but the EG300 makes me sufficiently scared that I operated to SFO recently with a streaming nose, sneezing on those poor Club passengers; some of our hotels have been down-graded (yes, I know: poor us, but it is the thin edge of the wedge, isn't it?); and the list continues. Yes, I know change is inevitable in our share-holder driven world, but at some point, enough is enough. Contributors keep on pointing out that other air crew have worse conditions - and that is exactly the point. When there is a united front and you are working for a profitable company that can afford to reward its managers and directors with the kind of bonuses that have been bandied about, it would only be someone very short on brains who would say: "after 10 years of loyal service you wish to make changes to my working conditions and pay, and remove the possibility of promotion for me? Sure go ahead." I have nothing to lose anymore. I love my job and know from passengers, cabin crew and flight crew alike, that I am very good at it. But I will put up a fight to protect my corner until WW DOES get his way (which I belive is inevitable) and replaces us with the like of McDonald's employees. I am going, I accept that, but not without a fight.
LHR-777: I am in the same boat as you. I am due to take my annual leave over the time of the proposed strike, but it is a price I am willing to pay. Hope you and your family get away ok.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!