Fournier,
Wouldn't disagree with anything you state, Industrial action is something that can effect everyone, that's why it's so powerful and scary too. It is something not to be taken without having thought it through and knowing the risk, however many of us are fed up with VS taking the pi$$ that it is simply a no brainer, and that far outweighs the risks having weighed them all up. In these situations people simply "fight or flight" based on their own individual circumstances, for me it's fight.
For other departments to tell us what they think of the cabin crew striking it is more than likely to be expected that we are "bad people". Whilst I don't agree with fruitbats angle in the reply to your post, I do think that netting >£3.5k per month + allowances plus £1k into a pension (source -
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showpos...&postcount=111) makes our thought method very different to that of flight crew. It's very easy to jusdge people when you are not in their shoes or feeling the pinch we do when we take home £900-£1200 a month. [Not bitter of your earnings, you deserve every penny and have studied hard to achieve it and are rewarded justly - after your negotiations a few years back to bring you inline with BA]
For me personally I am sick that every month after all the bills have 'just' been paid and nothing is left or one is negative (please dont lecture me on curbing my spending habits, I am very careful and save allowances). The last set of negotiations were concluded with the promise of Christmas backpay, they were offered this time too and it hasn't happened I would say that is a demonstration that crew are getting more and more fed up with the companies attitude towards us.
Whatever the outcome I will accept what is democratically decided and go with the majority. I will regardless though try and get somehow involved with the union in trying to ensure new channels of communication are established with our colleagues in order to come to the table at the next set of negotiations fully armed with a true representation of what the crew want. I will also watch the flight crew negotiations with interest and see what the companies first offer is to flight crew for an RPI increase - yes it's not comparing apples with apples, but it is a demonstration of the respect in which the company holds the employees (and judging by the offers we received, we are held in a very low respect by the management).
