The biggest problem underlying this whole debate is that of 'benchmarking' CC terms and conditions.
Obviously this hasn't been done on a 'formal' level, but can you honestly believe that the BA management team won't have had a good trawl through all of the equivalent LH/SH airlines to do a cross comparison? Add to that the ability to look at the LH/SH route structure of LGW which, in my opinion, runs excellently and far more smoothly than the LHR operation. The company knows exactly what the 'going rate' for CC is and what the worldwide LH/SH 'standard' pay structure is.
The 'structure' of the CC pay at LHR is the target. The ability for an accountant to sit down and look at cabin crew rosters and calculate the monthly cost of each individual is the key. This allows vital forward projection of personnel costs. As it stands currently CC rosters are the most chaotic on the planet with costs changing every day due to the various 'random' credits involved with lunch payments, CAT turnarounds, dinner payments, earlies, blocks, lateness etc. etc. etc.
Silverstreak dragged, once again, the flight crew into it. Take another look, FC pay structures are what BA wants for the CC (albeit not at the same levels). The ability to say 'they fly XX hours at ZZ per hour over a month equals £YYY'. That is the entire thrust of the pay restructuring and exactly what flight crew have at the moment and have had for the past 5 years.
BASSA have successfully defended the current pay structure at, and only at, LHR. Congratulations and well done, honestly. However the disparity between the operation at LHR and the rest of the CC employment world has become so large that the managment have finally taken this battle out of the 'too difficult' draw and are going to take it to conclusion.
The new 'One World' fleet launches in November. The BASSA mantra drum of 'We will bring the company down' is beating ever quieter as more 'new entry' CC are recruited every day. WW will have budgeted for industrial dispute as he and the board are well aware of the petulant, childish nature of BASSA as has been summed up by many of the LGW crew. What happens now is the decision as to whether or not the current CC accept a readjustment to their contracts to bring them in-line with all of the other departments who are either cutting pay or losing personnel or, possibly, accept a 90 day notice of termination.
The company WILL play hard ball on this one and BASSA will stand on its own as the other departments have taken their medicine already.
Whilst I don't like what is happening it is, unfortunately, inevitable if the company is to survive and I get annoyed when a singular department feels that they have the right to 'bring the company to its knees' because of a long overdue overhaul of outdated 1970's contractual fluff thus affecting the employment of thousands of others.