BALPA have done a fine job in negotiating with the pension dispute and I do not be grudge you a penny of what you get. At the end of service my pension will amount to very little......
What is being missed is that the pension negotiations were led very effectively and the unions, until BASSA's deliberate avoidance of the January 4th meeting, presented BA with a united position. BA were wrongfooted by that stance because they had believed a united front would never happen.
The resulting proposals are as good as it will get. All things considered it is the best of a damage limitation exercise. The deal for flying staff was particularly difficult to negotiate given that we all stood to lose the most e.g. being compelled to work and extra 10 years for similar benefits.
The GMB and BASSA are posturing on this issue and just watch, the pension proposal will be accepted at the last minute and hailed as a vast improvement over what you would have got had BASSA nor been so effective!
Ask BASSA what they propose to do with the £6m ring fenced for CC. They have been deliberately quiet about that. The effect on your pension arrangements, if used in the right way, is dramatic (I have seen the numbers).
BASSA instead are referring to a bribe of £9m to the pilots as though it is being divvied up between us. It was used to mitigate the effect of having to work an extra 10 years. BASSA have not proposed anything with your money but have used spin anmd deceipt to alienate further the CC from the FC by claiming we took a bribe. They are lying.
BASSA keep getting branded as militant for standing up and protecting its membership.
BASSA is not standing up for you, BASSA is leading you into a war you cannot and will not win.
From conversations I have had with many, many cabin crew they are now scared witless at the thought of actually going on strike. As has been said to me by various, expecially younger crew, 'but I cannot afford to go on strike'. When I ask if they voted to 'oh yes!'. That is because BASSA were not honest about the true situation should a strike be called. BALPA is truthful in this regard. BALPA also tells us the full story and sets achievable goals and does not go for the nuclear option over small and petty issues.
BALPA held a large face to face briefing for city analysts and the like to present to them what BA's proposals meant and what BALPA proposed instead. There were some gasps of suprise at the true effect of some of BA's original proposals.
Contrast that mature, intelligent and effective strategy with BASSA's current stance and the spin and nonsense emanating from your representatives.
You would be suprised at the level of support you would enjoy from pilot's if we truly believed you had solid and serious issues to fight over. The reason you do not enjoy that support is because we almost daily see the generally obstructive and outdated results of BASSA's stance on so many issues. Finally somebody has arrived who is not prepared to see the tail wagging the dog any longer. BASSA have sleep walked into this confrontation and have been set up for a very large fall.
All staff will suffer as a result because WW is effectively going to neuter the unions. BASSA will rue the day it started this fight.
Eddy, thank you for spending the time to actually answer some of the questions posed. I think further input from me is pointless because we now know how both of us see most of the issues.