Hmmm, do I sense the tone changing somewhat?
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 7:49 PM
Subject: BASSA: FIVE FACTS
Five things you need to know right now.
1. There are only three days of talks currently planned; these are,
Wednesday 30th September, Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd October. No further
talks have been arranged.
2. The results of those talks, if any, good or bad will be reported
directly back to you at our next branch, which is on Monday 5th of
October, at our Kempton Park venue. You will decide any next step.
3. British Airways are still demanding GBP140 million in savings,
directly from your salary costs.
4. Behind the scenes, British Airways In-flight Customer Experience
management, are preparing to impose their plans for cost cutting on, or
around December 1st
5. As a simple reminder, and to put all of this into perspective,
this is what has been expected of other areas:
Cost saving targets within British Airways:
Management grades
No reduction in individual terms, conditions or salary costs. Savings
achieved by the offer of enhanced voluntary severance at 1.5 times annual
salary, available to all managers.
Pilots
Salary costs of GBP445m, which would increase over the next two years to
GBP458, therefore their challenge was to stay "cost neutral", saving GBP13
million. Savings required, 2.83%.
They also accepted a further saving of GBP10 million to fund voluntary
severance for 66 pilots.
Cabin crew
GBP567.9m salary costs - costs to be reduced by GBP140m from a 2000 head
count reduction. Savings required, 24.65%.
With these facts, it would appear extremely unlikely that even with the
best will in the world, we would be able to reach an agreement that you
would find acceptable.
These things are happening right now, and you need to ensure that you know
what is going to happen very shortly. BASSA is your union, we cannot
compete with British Airways in terms of communication resources, but we
have one thing they do not have, YOU.
We need YOU to spread the word today amongst your friends and colleagues;
we need to prepare to stand together for what we believe in and to protect
each other, that's how we will be at our strongest; if we do not the
consequences will be unthinkable.
Notwithstanding the obvious omissions from their list, such as productivity savings, it is heartening to here the cries for unity; similar to the cries heard when the Birmingham, Glasgow, and Manchester bases were closed, and the new-entrant salaries agreed. Those cries were deafening, and still reverberate now; what a brave and bold front BASSA put up to preserve those jobs!
Oh, hang on, I'd dipped into a parallell universe there for a moment, sorry.
Don't think the consequences will be exactly unthinkable, maybe just working a bit harder, fixed-links and no more one-out one-back days. See, it can be thought. After all, most other airlines in the entire World, civilised or otherwise do that already.
You have been failed by your union. Abjectly, publicly and shamefully. It is writ large, if you cannot see it, then you deserve the representation you pay for.