Flyglobespan: Time To Make A Stand

[On-MarkBob]

Hi Scottie,

First of all I’d like to know when it was when BALPA ever called for strike action outside of BA? I don’t think our management is exactly quaking with fear.

Secondly, I would like to see some form of representation for all flight crew and not just the pilots. In my humble opinion it is high time the cabin crew were recognised as a profession themselves. Over the past year I have seen the cabin crew work their socks off and build a dam good reputation for the airline, only for it to be trashed by the actions of the company management. Eg. Business class passengers travelling to Orlando non-stop in plush 767 comfort, then having to return to the UK economy class on a 737 with a stop at St. Johns.

The golden rules are being broken:-

• If you don’t look after your customers, somebody else will.
• If you don’t look after your staff, they won’t look after your customer.
• You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

What would BALPA do about that? Ans. Nout! The company would simply tell them to mind their own business.

What the company needs is a positive united front that can enter into a professional dialogue with the management, with positive arguments that, where possible, lays down financial benefit for the company. I personally would like to see the accounts for crew travel and Hotac, I cannot believe the way it is being managed is any way economical, and even though the idiot in charge thinks he’s saving money (which I doubt) the goodwill within the ranks of the aircrew is, by his actions, being seriously eroded. (see rule 2). It is hard to put a value on goodwill, until there is none left. They need to understand that making a profit is not about screwing the crews, but having a reliable and happy workforce! Amber Airways was bankrupted when the staff gave up being flexible. History is repeating itself here.

We shouldn’t need to ‘go on strike’, and even a good union wouldn’t call a strike until the management was in possession of all the facts. We don’t have to wait for BALPA to do that, we can do it now!! Militant action at this stage would just see the management dig their heals in. They must be able to believe that we are working for them, if they are to take us seriously. In the mean time we do our jobs by the rules and if those rules mean that things don’t go as they planned, then it’s not our fault but theirs and when they see that for themselves they might start to listen.

Did I read that BALPA membership was now £60 per month? Christ, that’s £720 per year, many of us can insure our house and our car for that. A good legal insurance policy would cost a quarter of that!!