Privately many Flight Crew rather envy the cheekiness and strength of BASSA and wish it wasn't just a cabin crew union. If only their 'association' had the strength to stand up to Willie.
An easy statement to make. One could easily say that privately many cabin crew envy the negotiating skills of BALPA and there would be no proof for that either.
What is clear is that BASSA, at the highest level, is seeking to distort the information it has been given by BALPA re the pilot agreement. Is this because they wish to further the likelihood of a strike?
What may well happen is this: BASSA will fail to agree by the deadline. I'm told that there is no BASSA plan other than to stand ground over the its agreements. The deadline will pass, BA will impose its new conditions and take all current offers off the table. BASSA will recommend a strike. BA will then use its barristers to go straight to the High Court and seek an injunction rendering the strike illegal - it will use the 'SOSR' (Some other substantial reason) defence. Any illegal action will be dealt with under BA's EG300 absence management policy.
Additionally, BASSA's current policy of mis-representing (by partly quoting) other groups agreements will be used against them by BA in the courts. All communications by BASSA will be examined and used against them, if BA can, to render any strike action illegal.
Meanwhile, BA will be making crew redundant in accordance with the plan.
Controversially, they could declare that the role of CSD is redundant and sack them all. In the interim, BASSA will be hamstrung by the High Court injunction and unable to act. Any strikers will be sacked as the strike will be illegal.
I'm extremely sorry to write the above as I have many friends who are crew, and I have no wish to see them suffer. However these are harsh times and these are the hard facts being kept from BASSA's members.
It may help outsiders to know that two thirds of the cabin crew pay budget in BA is currently spent on only one third of the workforce...