From the witless Steve Turner:
""Unite is so concerned about the impact of these cuts on both crew and paying customers, that we have instructed employment specialists to establish an independent system to monitor their impact over the coming period.""
The equally clueless Brian Boyd is quoted here:
"Unite, the U.K.'s largest union, on Monday issued ballot papers to its more than 12,000-strong cabin crew membership within British Airways PLC (BAY.LN).
The ballot papers are being issued on the same day that BA begins to impose far-reaching changes to in-flight crew working practices, changes which Unite says are not only unworkable but are also contractual and so must be negotiated, not imposed.
"We ask British Airways to signal that they are willing to abandon their plans to impose change and work with us on a way forward, one which delivers for passengers, shareholders and the workforce. Then we could begin to tackle the roots of this damaging dispute and find a way forward," said Unite national officer for aviation, Brian Boyd. "
Sorry Brian. I think you've already had the signal. It's called imposition. Didn't you know it was coming?
And more churlish BASSA behaviour quoted here:
"British Airways has fired a warning shot at the union that began balloting 14,000 cabin crew on industrial action yesterday.
In a letter to Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, the joint general secretaries of Unite, BA said that it would not tolerate union members promoting strike action while at work.
BA said that during previous ballots, staff had put stickers saying “vote yes” on passenger luggage and even on aircraft interiors.
Bill O’Shaughnessy, head of industrial relations, said that BA would reserve the right to recover cleaning costs from the union and would also consider criminal damage charges against individuals.
BA staff have also been forbidden from wearing badges on their uniforms promoting the union or strike action and are banned from handing out leaflets on company property.
A union representative mocked the warning in an e-mail to members, saying that BA was threatening criminal charges for “the heinous crime of sticker ownership”.
Read all the gory details at the following links:
http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/buisness/union-issues-ballot-papers-to-ba-crew-$1340788.htm
Cabin Crew Ballot Opens As BA Imposes Contractual Changes - WSJ.com
BA puts pressure on cabin crew as strike ballot begins - Times Online
You can plaster all the stickers you want, BASSA, but the sensible ones know the correct call is:
VOTE NO AND RESIGN FROM BASSA!