It would seem, as this thread is being quoted on the Bassa forum as well, that the advocates of the BASSA stand have run out of ideas and arguments.
It is far easier to lambaste from afar in the comfortable knowledge that all within the discussion agree with your warped viewpoint then to try to convince others with well versed, rounded and factually based arguments.
I feel that the negotiating snail that is the BASSA team are retreating into their shells and awaiting the meeting on the 6th to poke their heads out again.
To those who still believe that the actions required are disproportionate:
BASSA have, over the past 10 years, been given ample opportunity to adjust CC conditions slowly and less painfully. The requirements have always been there but as a BALPA negotiator quite eloquently put it 'BALPA have sought to 'slim down' the T's & C's body whereas BASSA have just hacked limbs off to the point where only the body, LHR, is left to hack'.
It is not just BALPA that has achieved this, all other departments are operating on dramatically different contracts post 9/11. All negotiated over the past 10 years to bring them into line with the economic environment of the day.
BA has 40,000 employees. Even taking into account a BASSA membership of 8,000 (My numbers, just guessing!) that means there are a potential 32,000 job losses on the line in order to keep BASSA's cushy position at the top of their Ivory tower. 32,000 people who are prepared to accept that change is required.
It is woefully unfair to 'tar' all BASSA members with this militant brush. As has been stated so often before on this thread the vast majority of CC are, experience, level headed, very good at their job and are aware that change is required to be able to provide the customer with the service they expect at the price they require.
Do not let the inadequate, militant and petulant BASSA negotiating team drag you to the dole queue. This talk of 'legal strike' and 'they can't sack you' is not true. If so then get a signed letter from BASSA stating that if you take part in industrial action and are dismissed they will continue to pay your wages. See how quick it doesn't happen. BASSA have had months to get this sorted. BALPA took 3 1/2 months to fully convince its members that this wasn't company spin and now we have reached an amicable settlement. Why hasn't BASSA done the same? At least why haven't the negotiating team, negotiating on your behalf, requested, under confidentiality, to see the PWC results that BALPA have attained?
Personally I hope that most of the CC will see sense that this is a suicide mission from a dying BASSA leadership. How they can have the audacity to say they 'won't bore you with the nitty gritty' until after the deadline is quite beyond me.
To those on the CC forum reading in, SP et al. I think you actually realise that T's & C's have to change, I think you also realise that the company is playing hard ball this time. The fall will be painful due to the steadfast refusal of BASSA to budge in the past when ineffectual management has just let you 'get on with it' instead of rocking the boat . This time they have contingency plans in place and there are lots of willing people to fill your vacancies when you are dismissed. Also, yes, changes to the core CC T's & C's will make a huge difference in the future to the company if we can rid ourselves of the dinosaur that is BASSA and the willingness of BASSA to call IA at the drop of a cracked/ingrowing toenail.
Learn from the mistakes that BALPA made on the Open Skies issue. BALPA never saw the legal right hook coming and it floored them, took the legal team totally by surprise and also took the union world by surprise as such a test case had never been used in that context before.
Don't think that WW can't do the same again.