After months of mounting and unsettling uncertainty for the cabin crew community, British Airways finally agreed to resume further talks. These were scheduled to be held today Monday 21st September at the ACAS offices in central London.
This was agreed at the meeting between Willie Walsh and UNITE general secretary Tony Woodley. BASSA was to work along side National Secretary Steve Turner and British Airways would be led by Director of people, Tony McCarthy.
Despite British Airways repeatedly stating the urgency of these talks, they did not actually take place.
BASSA was ready to do business and to give one final attempt to see if an agreement could be reached, our belief is that this would involve serious negotiation.
We were mistaken, British Airways wanted to commence proceedings off with a financial slideshow presentation on future revenue yields by a junior financial clerk from Waterside. Basically just more time wasting and another attempt to brainwash us into accepting the changes they want to impose.
WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD EVERY TYPE OF PRESENTATION you could imagine, IT’S TIME FOR ACTION not slideshows, this uncertainty has gone on long enough, . Tony McCarthy disagreed and had what could only be described as a “fit of pique “ and flounced out of the talks and registered, ironically another “failure to agree“. Frankly BA’s behaviour is, under the serious circumstances, reprehensible and irresponsible.
BASSA remains available for serious negotiation, if British Airways wish to talk and not walk. We are here to represent your views and concerns .If they do not, so be it, we stand ready to defend our members against any imposition.
This (my bolding) is from BASSA who have previously procrastinated and refused to turn up to meetings?
Given the choice of language ("a junior financial clerk from Waterside"), I would take BASSA's account of Tony McCarthy's "fit of pique" with a pinch of salt.