If I may be permitted another observation... the ballot papers should have started arriving today and the results will be known on the 20th December. It would seem that quite a few of the people making comments on here are under the false assumption that they may actually be on strike over Christmas. Also, it would appear from those who are under that impression, that that is the only reason to vote for a strike as they will then be able to have the holiday off.
I'm sure many of you don't think that way. However, judging from the latest galley FM, the vast majority of you have no idea what it is exactly you are going to be striking over. As has so eloquently been pointed out already by Digitalis, no one has been able, so far, to explain exactly what is going to happen if you actually vote for industrial action.
I must say that the communications from your union leaders has been dismal. Judging by the comments made here, not one of you knows exactly what this is all about. You are talking of voting for industrial action without having any idea of what that actually entails. Considering that your union leader, Brian Boyd, twice "strongly recommended" the offer and you twice had a vote of no confidence in him by rejecting it, I cannot understand how you can now be so confident that you are somehow in a position of strength when in fact, you are in disarray and, as pointed out above, have very little idea of what is actually going to happen whether you get a yes or a no vote with only a marginal majority.
If I could just remind everyone on here what was actually communicated by Brian Boyd. On 26th September just after the 3rd ballot he wrote "...I, along with your pay reps, have met the Company on two occasions. These meetings have culminated in a revised offer and to a position where I truly believe that Unite is able to "strongly recommend" acceptance. I do sincerely hope that after reading the enclosed Company offer, you support my "strong recommendation" for acceptance."
Then, on the 5th October after the 4th ballot, Boyd wrote "Unite has now undertaken a thorough consultation period where we have been available to speak to our members at various locations. You have been given the opportunity to consider the Company's revised offer, and discuss any aspect of it with Unite Officers and Workplace Reps. I do believe that this "Final Offer" represents the best we could hope to negotiate under the current circumstances. It is the highest single percentage wage increase across all UK airline companies in 2007. The guiding principle of Unite is to continually pursue the very best improvements to our members terms and conditions of employment wherever they work, while retaining a realistic approach to what can be achieved. I am of the opinion that we have maintained this principle throughout these negotiations. I am therefore "recommending acceptance" of the offer."
Following the rejection of the 4th ballot, Brian Boyd, was directly quoted as saying "Unite is calling upon Virgin Atlantic to deliver a long term solution to this problem. It has gone on for too long and our members have had enough. Unite has written to the company today to inform them that the union will ballot its members for strike action within the next two weeks."
That was on the 2nd November and two weeks later the company had still not heard from him about any ballot on industrial action. It was only on the 26th of November that official notification of intention to ballot was made. The closing date for ballots to be received is 20th December.
So, some of you on here are telling us that you are confident of achieving your aims whilst being led into industrial action by a leadership that you have no confidence in. I shake my head in despair at the naivety of your actions. I do agree that you need to improve your terms and conditions but, as has already been stated, you need to do so progressively and sensibly. This way is more likely to do long term harm to your ambitions and is likely to put you back several years in industrial relations terms with the company.
I repeat my advice, for what it is worth, that you should take the current offer which is "highest single percentage wage increase across all UK airline companies in 2007" and then regroup. Get yourselves someone who an represent your interests properly. You will have about 18 months which, in all honesty, probably isn't enough time to organise properly and enter negotiations from a stronger position.
All the gung-ho comments from the pro strike commentators on here will not change the outcome of a poorly represented union with very limited, minority support from your membership, going head to head with the company. The resulting defeat, and it will end in tears for the cabin crew, will shred your organisation to pieces. Far better to accept the current offer and live to fight another day.
I just hope that the majority of the cabin crew use their vote and cast it with the knowledge of what the consequences will be, either way. It has already been shown that the apathy of the majority allows the voiciferous minority to lead you into uncharted waters with roughly 29% rejecting the last offer and the rest not voicing an opinion. Think hard and use common sense.
Good luck, because you are going to need it.