Da Dog,
I have said it before, but BA have cried wolf about the state of the business too many times, so why should we believe them now? The management IMHO are not making enough of an effort to convince the staff that this time is real.
Sorry? Have you looked at the figures? Have you looked at the cash flowing out? Have you witnessed the environment we are flying in? Massive loads don't mean anything if the yield is low trying to keep people flying. Simple maths will tell you that if there is more going out than is coming in then the gravy train will grind to a halt eventually.
Add to that you have analysts figures confirming the position, downgrade of shares to 2nd level junk status with no guarantee that they won't drop further. Massive cost savings across the entire company with signs, posters and emails everywhere warning people to cut costs and save money. And still you can't see it? People taking VR, people being forced in some departments into CR, Citiflyer cutting CC and FC jobs, amalgamation of departments for more efficiency, ergo Loading and push back teams.
Look at the position of CC when taken against the steps taken by other departments over the last 5 years. The screaming, tantrum approach by BASSA has worked until now but all that has achieved is to make the drop further and more painful. BA CC are far above the going rate for CC as a poll here on Pprune showed when floods of people replied they would be very happy to work on the new contracts. Also, a full 319 with 17 Club from Gatwick to Bologna was run superbly by 3 crew why do we need 5 from Heathrow? Flight crew are about to make the decisions as to how their financial savings are to be met, and they will be met, but, believe me, those decisions are based purely on our wish to achieve the aim. Also add to the mix that BALPA have had, through careful negotiation, access to the Price Waterhouse Coopers financial analysis of BA's position. Perhaps BASSA should be following their lead as the BACC knows full well the state the company is in. We are certainly not accepting any pay cuts/CR due to CC not being willing to budge as was told to me by a purser the other day!
As I said before it is time to put up or ship out.