I originally read this thread and expected to simply be a concerned observer as oppose to a participant.
I am ex BA cabin crew and still have friends who work as crew for BA. I can see the predicament that the CC are under and I do feel sorry for them.
It is not pleasant to potentially have your contract changed from one which you signed. However, it is quite clear across the world that this economic crisis is hitting everywhere and everyone, and every occupation is suffering. Based on this why should (some) CC think that they should be unaffected, when everyone else is?
I have read by the moderator than no more of "pilot gets this/CC gets that" so this means that we have to look to CC's t&c's. From what I am gleaming here (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong), one of the issues is the removal of ETP/box payments etc in replacement for a set monthly payment. When I flew I had good trip months and bad trip months and my wage could fluctuate by £1000 month. I joined in 1997 on the new contract and was full time main crew. The discussion of this set monthly payment seems fair. This will mean an even amount of take home each month rather than huge variances. It will mean that the pressure for the long range trips is taken away as you get paid for coming to work rather than the destination you go to. It seems a fairer system and surely the only thing that needs negotiating is the actual amount rather than not to have it?
This means then that a CC member would be paid their basic, the monthly payment and their food subsistence allowances.
rmac
"But is it actually possible to live on 11k per annum in this day and age without needing to visit a soup kitchen from time to time"
It is not simply 11k though is it? It is 11k, plus the monthly payment (was this approx £400?) and food allowance. Speaking from personal experience I never spent my full food allowance when I was away, and although you shouldn't rely on it for part of net pay, most people do. The food allowance was generous, when I left in 2003 I'm sure the daily rate for the UK when on a back to back was £60, I can't imagine spending £60 on food for the day (and this is 82% tax free). This also means that CC are not like Joe Bloggs who works on the ground, Joe Bloggs has to pay for his meals every day in the month, there are no food allowances for him. CC are given the money for food and subsistence whilst they are away which means that you are not having to spend any of your 11k on food whilst out of the country. For this reason I have to aruge that it wouldn't be:
"782 pounds a month after tax and NI payments"
But more likely 782 basic + 400 monthly payment = 1182 plus whatever is not spent in food allowances.
As I said at the start of this post I still have friends who are CC now and their future concerns me. Not only their job security but how BA CC in general are being perceived by the general public. There have already been some negative posts from non flyers and there are some CC who are giving the rest of the CC a bad name. The attitude that is being seen by some is making the CC look petty, selfish and completely out of touch with what is going on in the world. These are the people that you wish to travel on your airline and so in fact pay your wages. Amongst various statements one that implies £11k is not enough to live on.
I've no idea what the average wage is in this country but for a lot £11k is a lot of money. I accept that the CC are there for a numerous amount of safety jobs whilst on board but it is still only a 6 week training course. Years have not been spent on training so if you have good people skills and common sense it is a job you can excel at ... but it is still not classed as a professional job. I am hesitating writing this as I expect an onslaught from some CC, but I am writing it as I want you to see the image that you are portraying to the public and why if you push it, the public will show their disapproval by booking with competitors.
Regarding the figure of £782 month,
Del Prado
"for someone whose primary role is passengers safety. Doesn't sound a lot."
Let me give you a personal insight as to why making statements like that is an insult to a lot of the general public:
An ambulance worker on emergency frontline ambulances (EMT) on a full time wage takes home approx £1370 month.
They will work approx 12-14 shifts a month on 12 hour shifts.
They are not paid for a 45min meal break.
They are not provided sleeping quarters as it is frowned upon if you sleep whilst on duty. Unlike the rest that CC get even on on TLV flight!
They are not given food during their shift, so if they want to eat they have to buy it themselves. Unlike CC who are given a sandwich on boarding, a hot meal during flight and then meal allowances whilst they are away.
They normally work 4 shifts on at a time. Days, days, nights, nights. On the morning of when they finish their last night shift this is classed as a day off, unlike CC who have this classed as a working day eg 3 day JFK but lands on the morning of day 3.
I could go on about the differences but I won't, I choose do this job and I love it. I work harder than I ever did as crew with more abuse than I ever received as crew. I have a lot more responsibilty than I did as crew. I am not the only person who will be doing a job like this, working these sort of hours to these sort of conditions. This post is not to have a moan about my conditions but to show you that you will be losing public sympathy by not taking a more realistic look at the wages that are being proposed and what other industries get.
To try and show a comparison between wages, as crew you are given your meals whilst working but on the ambulance you pay for your own food out of your wages, so let's take an average of £5 a day for meals (not the daily amount I remember as CC for the UK at £60 per day.). This is £5 x 13 shifts = £65 to be deducted from £1370. So an EMT gets approx £1305 and CC gets approx £1182 plus remainder of food allowance. Not a lot of difference in it.
Do you think £1305 is a lot when you are trying to save lives on an ambulance? Probably not but it is the real world and this is what people get paid. Some are the main bread winner of the house. Please don't belittle a lot of the public by making out that 11k is not enough to survive on. This is not directed at all CC just those who do not have a realistic grasp of the worldwide situation. I hope something can be sorted for you and that the general public keeps its faith in BA as a company.