T5
Hmm interesting question.
Let me state that the last thing in my career I ever thought I would have to contemplate is striking.
I will not be proud to go on strike.
I do not want to go on strike.
But BA management has pushed us once too many time.
This is blatant outsourcing of our jobs
So I will go on strike.
We have all endured a constant barrage of cuts attacks on our terms and conditions over the past few years.
But lets just examine the evidence. BA pilots have not gone on strike for over 20 years (anyone make that more accurate please)
But I have experienced:
Multiple cabin crew strikes and threats of strikes
Illegal, non balloted walk outs from the terminal staff twice in the last few years.
Illegal, non balloted walk outs by the loaders in 2005
Constant work to rules by just about all the other work groups - which still go on today
So how did all those industrial woes harm the long term prospects of the airline ? We are currently the most profitable passenger airline in the world - I dont seek to harm that.
Did you see the pilots berating the other groups industrial spats? I dont recall that happening.
We have the most serious grievance with BA I could imagine. Are you aware that the pilot group has a very strong set of rules bid line rules. They are ignored by ourselves day in, day out. We are the most on-side, can do unionised work group in BA. We ignore our BALPA/BA agreed rule set on a daily basis and work far, far beyond it.
A large percentage of our flights would be canceled every day if it wasn't for the pilots working significantly above and beyond the scope of our industrial agreements.
We do not yet know what BALPA will be formulating. Rest assured that we could grind the airline to a halt by not even striking, but by working to only the extent of our industrially agreed rule set.
Only then may some people realise just how on side we were before.
I'm afraid the pilots have finally had enough of being taken for granted. We will get little sympathy from other corners of the airline, nor will we expect any.
If we do end up striking, rest assured it will be a fully legal strike.
Our only quiet observation will be the gross hypocrisy.
Beware the wrath of a patient man. We have been extremely patient.