What the readers of these pages need to understand is the MASSIVE increase in productivity that we have delivered over the past 5 years for a rapidly diminishing and derisory award, whilst there is a continuous erosion of our conditions of service. My personal flying hours as an example have increased 18% since 1995 and many of us are approaching the magic 900.
BA management myth that somehow we are inefficient and lazy is simply not borne out by the facts. The recent BALPA comparative remuneration study shows with
independent and sourced evidence that we provide just about the most productive and cost effective flight deck in the business. I can hear some of you now in the charter world going ‘Oh dear, poor Nigel having to work for a change’, but let me remind you that your work is strictly seasonal, whilst ours is month on month, higher and higher CAPs, shorter slips, and more establishment shortfalls.
All we want is a fair days pay for a fair days work, we have helped the company out in the past when they pleaded hardship, only for them to play hard nose when the Sun comes out again. They must think we were born yesterday. So this time no sob stories, no 3%, no corporate offer, no recession, no IT problems, no Foot and Mouth, this time it’s money.
MJ is reported as saying
”Don’t expect anything more than RPI”
Well if that’s the case, I have news for him –
Don’t expect anything less than industrial action!
