Mumbo Jumbo, stay out of this. You have your opinion, fair enough, but it is not helpful here at this time. It just comes across as spiteful and vitriolic.
I work for J2 and I like it there. I am member of BALPA. I respect the people on the CC and their work.
BALPA work for us. They are member-driven and are there to be used by us to negotioate better with people who may otherwise not pay as much heed. Why not use them for our benefit? That is what they are there for. They are not a magical be-all-and-end-all cure to ills and woes, nor some superhero who steps in to save the day unbidden.
BALPA have limited resources - they have a number of projects on the go at any one time, including "recognition" within companies, and have to choose where to put effort, time and monies. They monitor companies but they don't have a magical database of who is where and a member of what - it's a fluid industry. A lot of info comes from us, the members.
A company can be forced to recognise BALPA but this limits what BALPA can negotiate for on our behalf. It may have to start that way, but it is better if there is an "open-door" in to the company. For BALPA to start pushing, they want to see approx 70% membership - as we all know, if the company doesn't want it, they'll do what they can to halt it and in this case there are always some who don't have to the backbone to stand and be counted or bow to bad propoganda etc. This 70% takes this into account. Once this amount is achieved, BALPA will put resource into making recogniton happen. This is fact - not speculation.
If you are in J2, join BALPA. Yes, the IPA is an option, but it dilutes us.
TGWU - why? MJ is right in one respect at least -office staff and cabin crew won't necessarily stand up for what we want, most likely, and vice versa, so why all lump in together? Plus, BALPA is a specialist "union" for us, so why go elsewhere? Would the TGWU have all the specialist info that BALPA has about merging seniority lists, fixed-rosters, other companies Ts+Cs etc?
The CC work hard but do the comapny listen? Why not give them the backup they deserve. If we have the CC AND BALPA, working together, are we not stronger?
I don't want solid gold meal trays (or any meal tray actually for that matter!) or diamond car passes (company has to make money!) - just decent consultation between the all involved. J2 is a good place to be with a host of fine people working there (in all areas) - let's do what we can now to keep it that way!
JOIN BALPA! JOIN BALPA! JOIN BALPA!