BA Pilot Strike
I see others think that BALPA will do a deal and not strike.
The problem is that the BA pilot workforce is split 4 ways without even taking into account other unions positions on the pension problem.
1st BA pilot group..... very senior Captains APS age just over 55. These members have a protected old style gold plated pension with all the civil service type bells and whistles and will not strike... BALPA can offer them nothing they already have a 70K+ inflation proofed pension and a 120K BA job which makes them 200K pilots.... the highest earners in the UK. Numbers total less than 50 to 100 all on the 777 or 747 till they loose their medical or reach 65.
2nd BA pilot group the NAPS senior men age 50 +. The current BA proposal will not hit them that hard since they have a large amount of service in the old NAPS which is protected under the BA offer. They will not strike total 500 pilots.
3rd BA plot group junior captains and first officers members of NAPS 27years to 49 years old. Depending on their current length of service they will be hit hard by the BA offer. . They will probably strike total 2500+ pilots
4th BA pilot group new entrants 23 to 26 years old all first officers . they are members of BARP the current contribution scheme . They gain nothing from a strike, they are not members of NAPS. They will not strike . total numbers 500
All my numbers are approximate but BA nows the EXACT numbers. Add to this a pool of Retired BA pilots who have left in the last 2 years numbers about 500 who are only 56 -57 and know the BA procedures and could be revalidated to UK/ JAA rules in 4 days or so with an LPC in the in the sim and a route check by management trainers, if they can be induced to return to break a strike and ensure the security of their pension.... plus fly for a few more years, if thats what they want to do.
With all this in the wings you can see why BALPA has the twitch.