Well I'd hoped to bow out of this thread but the usual tosh has resurfaced and I feel compelled to challenge it, so here goes.
Angryfool - The improvement in RTR rights benefits all BA pilots. You may not have RTR now, but it only takes a single unplanned life event to change that. Some of my friends (all male) are incredibly grateful for that RTR option now. If you know exactly the way your life and the lives of those important to you are going to go in the near future then I accept that better access to RTR working is of no benefit to you.
So are you by implication saying BALPA is an elitist organisation?
No, I'm saying that in the real world any representative organisation has to assess it's scope and where it should focus it's efforts. BALPA is the British Airline Pilots Association. There is no element of superiority or elitism in that title, it's simply a statement of fact. The association represents airline pilots. It does not represent flying instructors, just like the BMA doesn't represent nurses and the Law Society doesn't represent para-legals. It would be a lovely world if every professional body could represent everyone associated with their industry in even the most tangential way, but thats not the world we live in. A line has to be drawn somewhere and I note that you avoid the question of where that line should be drawn.
Originally Posted by Noiffsorbuts
The first duty of any union should be to protect the individual.........To cut the ground of support from someone who has lost his or her job is just appalling.....especially when it is an economic decision and scarce resources have been spent freely on dubious Politically correct escapades. (I have yet to speak to a single colleague who did not think that the Starmer case was a spectacular own goal.and indicative of a leadership that was out of touch with it core membership)
I'm still waiting to hear from Tinytim whether he won his case or settled outside court/tribunal. With regards to the Starmer case I will repeat my point previously stated. Have you personally spoken to anyone directly involved in the case or are you simply passing judgement on a case that you deem to be 'politically correct' but don't actually have any knowledge of? Do you think it is wise to make public pronouncements about subjects which you have no knowledge of?
BusBoy - it's very disapointing that BALPA let you down. When I called them they couldn't get hold of who I apparently needed to speak to, but they were on the phone to me almost constantly for hours, updating me on who I should speak to, what I should and shouldn't say, what I should do and how events were likely to play out. Had I been a non-member I'd have given ten years back-subs to have that support at the end of the phone line in the wee small hours of the morning.
Sheikh Zabik - thanks for pointing out that BALPA is a reigstered trade union. Guess we must have all missed that point, good job you are here.
Originally Posted by Ghengis Cant
Why is that you Balpa apologists are so smug patronising and self satisfied ???
Why is it that the BALPA dismissers always resort to personal insults but never address the questions addressed to them? I'm still waiting to hear what Chris Darke did for the community but Ghenghis seems to be struggling to provide examples.