BALPA and its General Secretary
Dear Pprune members,
A number of interesting points have been raised over the past three weeks on this forum regarding the BALPA initiated strike ballot in British Airways. It is interesting to note that the vast majority of members appear to be at odds with the stated intention of their trade union. BALPA’s General Secretary has stated quite unequivocally that the strike ballot is “not about money; and it is not about safety”. This is quite clearly not the opinion of the vast majority of the Union’s own members. How might you ask has this disconnect between the Trade union and its members arisen?
The answer is simple. BALPA’s General Secretary issued the following two statements. The first on 9th January where he stated that BA’s “pilots do not want to see its brand or its safety record put at risk” and then on 21 January “BA’s real aim…will eventually force down BA pilot conditions”. So there you have it, the problem is solved. The General Secretary’s muddle headed response to his own statements. This does however leave BALPA’s members in a rather invidious position. Each of BA’s pilots pays between £400 and £1000 per year in union dues. For this they clearly deserve better from their leadership if they are to confront their employer in the crudest manner possible, namely, by withdrawing their labour.
Regards
LHR747