CapedCrewsAider thanks for info(by the way which analyst and date of report?), slightly off-topic but just want to comment on the analysts statement about pilots;
"To treat such a group in this way is very concerning indeed, given their potential to seriously damage the company in the event of industrial action."
I wish the majority of BA Conservative-thinking pilots realised this whilst bending over backwards in an effort to be reasonable. Undoubtably all UK pilots pay are bench-marked to BA payscales(mkt rate) and not ones profitability, so a victory for them will eventually translate into a rise for the entire industry.
Snooky's comments reflect exactly the frustration of all us BA pilots who despite working professionally and as efficiently as other outfits are told that some routes have to go because they are 'unprofitable', despite full loads and BA pilots pay often less than the 'low-cost' operators(believe it or not). I could have left EOG(BA short-haul LGW -old name) after I had already worked there for several years and received a 30% pay increase by taking a job of the street with GO(this is before their share option windfall). Yet GO was considered BA's low-cost operation. I understand why this is so(back-orfice/branding, etc)but it doesn't make it easier to swallow.
The fact that it was BA's mainline operations that provided the financial means(credit backing, leased aircraft)and flt ops personnel to launch GO(despite publicly denying this, we can name some of the managers)adds salt to our wounds. Of course despite this we were not allowed shares in GO or to enjoy financially the 3i sell-off or now Easyjet buyout. If it does now go for 400mill, then I wonder how much of the 18.5% of GO reserved for their employees(900 of them)will they receive? 18.5% of 400mill is 82,222 per employee(if all employees equal). This is not jealousy, congratulations to our GO colleagues just to highlight why there might be a few disgruntled BA real low-cost operators around watching our route network shrink.
The blame is not GB, GO or the low-cost operators but our own useless management. It's about time we took the airline back and ran it like an airline.
As for BA pilots breaking away from BALPA it is a serious worry but a definite possibilty. UK union recognition laws changed this past year. Now, If 50+% of employees vote in favour of a union it has to be legally recognised by the firm involved. So if for instance more than 50% of BA pilots voted in favour to say bring the TGWU (who run BASSA our cabin brew union, plus our transport drivers, plus cargo) BALPA would cease to be the official union in BA. BA could still choose to acknowledge BALPA but it would cease to be effective with less than 50% support. Just food for thought of course, but something people should keep in mind when they throw around anti-BA sentiment. At the moment the higher input per employees of BA-BALPA union subscriptions help fund some of the services that would not be around should these BA subscription funds be diverted elsewhere. The attitude of our union head office of late also inches the yet untested numbers closer or over the needed 50%.
Last edited by airrage; 6th May 2002 at 12:05.