Dear Vs Lhr,
Branson may well have been trying to say that VS could not afford the same rates as BA. The fact remains that you will still be the lowest paid crew in the U.K., on average £2,000 per year worse off than even the charter/low cost airlines.
No, bmi are the lowest paid crew; and if you'd bothered to read my previous posts you would have seen that I support a £2K rise for VS crew.
How do you feel about the outcome, I have re-read all your posts since yesterday and none of them seem to be in a positive light ? Why ? are you not happy with the outcome ? Most crew members I have spoken since the news are, yet you are not ?
Well, if you have read all my posts since the announcement, you will have noticed my first post (at the end of thread 2, I think) was 'Excellent news' - and I still stand by that. It is excellent news that the strike has been averted and we can move on in a more amicable manner. My negative opinion comes from those who are now backslapping the union who nearly took our company into this damaging strike because of their inability to understand what their members want. This is followed up by people suggesting we all should be unionised - and frankly, that leaves me with my head in my hands.
As for holding the company to ransom for an inflation busting payrise, you and I both know this has been a long time coming and it's going to continue unless things drastically improve by April 2009.
Well, as you know I support an average 11% increase for crew, so my comments were more meant for the idea of every department represented by a union saying "they got X%, so we want Y%" - it strikes me as completely unaffordable, and would cripple the company quickly.
Regarding taking the bread out of others mouths, nearly fell off my chair when you stooped that low.
It's only as low as being told those that are not in a union are apathetic (I know that wasn't you, Scooby). In hindsight it may have been harsh, but I feel the one who are apathetic are people who join a union and then don't bother to vote. Those that don't join a union maybe, like me, are making a conscious decision about membership.
Now that this round is over will you finally admit you are management ?
Don't be silly, Scoobs. Who in management works the hours I post at?
After the mess cabin crew have just been through, I would say the last thing other areas of the company want is a union. And for those on here claiming it's a victory for cabin crew against Virgin - wasn't it you guys who were getting more and more in a panic as the strike approached when the realisation really started to set in about what striking really meant. I don't think we needed a crystal ball to predict was was going to happen. It was you guys who wanted the deal and went back in to talks (thankfully). On another forum you were all saying about getting talking to the reps and talking to Brian Boyd again because you wanted the removed deal that you last rejected put back onto the table and that you would now accept it. After all, you had 2 deals recommended to you and I'm damn glad you eventually saw the light.
it's up to every department to fight for what they feel they deserve
And if every department got 4.8%, how far into the red would the company be, and how long before Branson either pulls the plug or sells us to Ryanair because it's losing too much money. Let's face it, his investment in the airline would earn far more if he simply put it in the building society.