wow envy and rejection make for bitter bedfellows!
as for the ex ryan air chap who daddy etc etc etc - he has no doubt made the grade, and why not, but he most certainley has contributed to the indusutry's rush to reduced T&c's. he no doubt joined BA on BARPS and whilst the pension is an issue we all lost on, please don't start me on that, the reason that BA felt it could get away with offering such a poor package and still recruit was because it was matching the new lowering industry standard! go figure if he helped form the management ethos that drove that decision.
The intersting thing about the 'them and us' situation is that the only real source of info about ryan/flybe/globespan etc etc etc that i get is from the guys who have come to BA from those companies. interestingly they often do not paint a great picture of many of the characters and conditions that they left behind, I suppose why would they have left otherwise.
I am left confused by what it is the BA haters want. somebody asked why NOT bacx to operate the 318 to jfk out of lcy. firstly to want to operate this in my opinion you have to be mad but more importantly exactly why would mainline pillots give up on the potential commands? its a non-sensical and childish proposal. You want the work, will do it cheaper, then get angry when we attempt to preserve our t&c's by demanding that as much work as possible is done by mainline. I understand that it must be soul destroying to work for a group in which you feel disenfranchised and excluded. I understand that it must be galling to be told if you don't like it hump it and I sympathise that the upheval that potential job switching brings to family life. Unfortunatley the laws of economics win out as we will no doubt fiind out in the coming months. I in no way think mailine has a god given right to exisit but i'm relying on my cc to fight tooth and nail for it. and this is where i think MM and others make a valid point which is constantly shouted down.
the BACC job is to look after BA mainline pilots, period. when integration is the flavour of the day, cityflyer, then an attempt at finding the middle ground has to be met. Most of the ex-cf boys i know well are very happy at how it worked out for them. the odd balls that i hear complaining downroute had unattainable expectations and often are the very chaps who had tried on several occasions to join the company but had been unsuccessfull. again not everyone will be happy with any particular outcome. however my point is that the bacc's job is to look after me. the cc of other operators jobs is to do likewise. when our workplace faces rapid change and uncertain future it is only human for us all to want to look after number 1, usually because we provide for mrs no1 and the kids. the threat to us all at the moment should be obvious. balpa is attempting to meet that threat head on and it may break her.
I hope that those who feel nothing but anger at BA and BALPAs stance reflect on the issuse here. what the BA group chooses to do with it's assets in the UK is really up to them within the framework of the agreements. when it decides to ignore the aims of theese agreements to attempt to lower conditions and pay on the mainline company i ask you all to think about the next 5 steps down the masterplan and the effect that has on us all.
I apologise to those i have offended wiith my 'arrogance' during this thread. I see too much envy disguised as anger in the writings of a few and simple manipulation of the facts to convey the idea of betrayal by BA pilots in many others. I get angry at both. every pilot needs a gold standard of employment conditions to reach and at present that 'standard' is at virgin and BA. how did virgin get there, by strong represenation and benchmarking. i think that the ba haters could take a leaf out of the virgin guys caps. use our conditions to improve your lot, just don't expect us to do it for you.
757flyer
i agree that 'scab' is not a word that we should be throwing about.
i have many issues with OS and because of my 'lucky' position have no idea why anybody would want to A. work for stealin mitt & B. do 3 x back 2 back east coasts a month. If its a job you need then i will not be holding that against you and am not in favour of the ban.
i hope you don't mind me offering advice however. the present difficulties at BA will pass and I like many others think this is the end for WW. He has lost the employees and no airline that depends on high customer service survives with low morale troops. the holes in the swiss cheese WILL line up. the board know this, willy knows this, we know it. OS was a gamble before T5 opened and would now be a kamikaze action given the strength of feeling amongst us nigels. if you have a job offer there i would think very hard about the security and longevity which that offer will bring. the individuals heading up OS will happily slip back to mainline BA without an afterthought and leave you high and dry.
good luck