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Old 31st Dec 2006, 09:46
  #1198 (permalink)  
The Little Prince
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Western Europe
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I've had some pretty strong debates with Tandem and Carnage down the years, but I am shocked by his assumption that there will be a sellout over the pension issue. Following Tandem's last post, I can only hope he's wrong - I just cannot believe that BALPA will cave in. This is probably the single most important issue facing British Airline pilots that I can remember, and if the management win it, (and winning will be anything which significantly dilutes the contractual entitlements of NAPS members) then we can all sit back and watch the Ts and Cs continue to drain into the sewer as WW and his ilk get their snouts firmly into the bonus trough at the expense of line pilots. (How CAN these guys justify trousering such huge bonuses????????? It really is the unacceptable face of capitalism, and it shows how the policy of divide and rule via effective bribery works!!!)
As BA become (how surprising) more profitable, every other airline in the UK will follow suit, payrises will decline, conditions will get worse, the airline pilot benchmark which has hugely assisted every single one of us will be eroded. Having cut away so much, it is impossible for most airlines to get more work out of pilots without breaking the law, so the only way to increased profitability/reduced costs is to attack employee conditions.
Any UK pilot who cannot see this is in dreamland. Further, BALPA must be in dreamland too, because they have existed mainly on the back of the BA pilots, and I cannot see how they expect to retain credibility if they give way. Of course, there will be some close to retirement who just want no hassle -that's always been the way, but BA have been the airline which has met management head-on, and generally managed to improve their Ts and Cs down the years, with spinoff for every single other operator. Basic economics, basic IR. I am beginning to think that secondary picketing has a place in the great scheme of things after all. Tandem, Happy New Year - my best wishes and hopes it will turn out better than you think.

Last edited by The Little Prince; 31st Dec 2006 at 09:48. Reason: AND ANOTHER THING!!!!!
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