Copied with permission from elsewhere (the author is welcome to contact me via the BALPA site if he'd rather I remove it from this specific site and I will do so):
MYTH1: BA set up the pension meeting yesterday knowing BASSA could not be in attendance.
FACT1: The pension meeting was adjourned for over 2hours in order to give BASSA time to make an appearance, which they did about 4pm. Their main union officer(T&G) was there all day and he couldn't get a response from them by telephone. Almost 40% of the pension meetings never had a BASSA Rep in attendance anyway. BASSA was not there yesterday because the resolve of their members for IA is weak enough without resolving the pensions issue. They didn't want a pensions deal yesterday and asked if we could delay the decision 1 week. This was not possible as BA were meeting the trustees tuesday and any offer can't sit indefinately on the table. BA wouldn't be able to commit to the offer past next Friday as BASSA would have their ballot results by then and the whole situation for BA could be vastly different (they might be facing a strike and have to freeze the offer).
MYTH2: Each of the other three unions acknowledged at the meeting that their own improvements had only been achieved through the resolve shown by BASSA. The deal currently on the table is there purely because of BASSA's strength. Because of your strength and because you are telling anyone that will listen that you are not happy and that you aren't going to be walked over.
FACT2: BASSA was at the beginning of the pensions debate being sold down the river(accepting NRA65) by their own larger union(T&G) who seemed more concerned by the majority of their ground staff. BASSA was not even present at these meetings. When it was leaked to BASSA what was transpiring, they suddenly turned up at the next meeting, they adjourned to a separate room for 2 hours and obviously a battle with the T&G ensued. They then decided to represent their own position and that was "we are in line with BALPA's proposal" as they were at this point starting from scratch with no research or knowledge. From that point forward BALPA carried BASSA(it was in our own interests as well to do so, for legal and other reasons). Eventually pressure was brought to bear and the whole of the T&G agreed with basically BALPA's proposal. I am still not convinced BASSA to this day even understand the basics on pensions, let alone be in a position to negotiate on them. MC knows first hand BALPA saved their bacon on pensions, despite what they know feel necessary to release. It was acknowledged yesterday though how well BALPA had done for it's members and this had some unions scratching their heads how this had come to pass.
MYTH3: Amcus and BALPA received an additional £9m/yr yesterday in order to sign an agreement that sells its members down the river.
FACT3: The £9m is BALPA's and BALPA's alone. It will become apparent how this £9m came about on Monday, it is part of £15m/yr savings that BA were going to claw back from AIRCREW(flight crew and CC only, not groundstaff) after the initial 5year transition period in BA's proposals was ended(BA's contribution were going to drop from £280m/yr to £265m/yr as spotted by our experts). Of the £15m/yr, £9m/yr was attributed to flight crew and £6m/yr was attributed to cabin crew. BALPA managed to secure these funds and have them allocated directly back to the groups where the money was being robbed from in the first place. Without BALPA's efforts, BASSA would never have seen sight of the £6m/yr which will be distributed to BASSA and CC89(Amicus) Cabin crew. Although unlike BALPA who had a set plan months ago, cabin crew have no idea on how to use the money, if they ever get it now with their actions of late.
MYTH4: Two of the 4 other unions have agreed so this will be imposed on BASSA and GMB.
FACT4: The T&G had to abstain from the vote due to BASSA's politiking. BASSA's stance had nothing to do with the deal itself(in fact they didn't even want to hear what the improved deal even was), and more to do with their 14-point(?) strike ballot and divergent membership. BA are going to give us time to ballot our members, and BASSA are only grandstanding. If the time comes to sign with trustees and BASSA continue to play games it is likely that BA will impose the changes. After all BASSA had very little imput to the negotiations in the first place other than we accept BALPA's proposal.
BASSA have some serious divisions. More than half their members are on the new pay scales which are capped at PP7 until they get a promotion, and some are now on PP7. Promotion is highly unlikely given the increased retirement age laws and the fact BA also want to remove CSD's off SH and a purser off LH at the same time. If unification of pay scales is going to happen, it will be a resut of the old pay scales suffering, not the old scales moving up. But this is the prime motive of their XX-point issues ballot.