Slidebustle - welcome to a balanced forum. You have posted an intelligent and well-thought out post, and I would like to respond to a point you raise that a lot of crew seem to be asking:
must admit though, I do worry when the people in BASSA say if they imposed this what next... there will be no promotion etc.... but is this all propaganda. Or do they have a point.
First of all, we need to be very clear on a couple of things.
1. This is not about a BALLOT. This is about a STRIKE. Do not ask yourself whether you should vote Yes or No. Ask yourself whether you are truly prepared to sit at home, on a day when you should be checking in for a flight. Are you really prepared to breach your contract in this way in the hope that the majority of other crew will do the same? Slidebustle, you probably haven't seen the previous strikes, but believe me it gets very scary in the last 24-48 hours prior to strike day.
2. Secondly, the Union is telling us that we are voting to strike, not about New Fleet, or crew complements, etc. but about IMPOSITION (and you outline your fears above). To say that we are striking about IMPOSITION is ridiculous. It has to be about WHAT has been imposed, not about the imposition itself.
Two years ago, the company IMPOSED a profit share. We didn't quite reach the required 10% profit margin, but it was felt that in view of T5 etc and the hard work everyone had put in, we deserved the reward. Did the UNION ballot about that? Of course not. So it can never be about the IMPOSITION itself, but only about the WHAT that has been imposed.
So, you then have to ask yourself WHAT has been imposed, to know whether or not you are prepared to strike, and sit at home when you should be flying. And the WHAT that has been imposed is simply reduced crew complements. End of. WW are already doing it, and due to the low loads are not having any real problems. EF start tomorrow and will undoubtedly just get on with it. So where's the issue?
Slidebustle, you have ventured onto this forum, like the rest of us, because you have a gut instinct that what the Union is doing is wrong. Do not feel afraid. Crossing a picket line at T5 will be easy - simply come in dressed in civvies and enter like a passenger! It will be a lot harder to picket at T5 than in previous strikes, and I'm sure there will be a mass of us getting together to come in to work. We will find a way.
Jockster - I would just like to correct what you have said - New Fleet is not unstoppable. BA have said it is not set in stone and that they are prepared to discuss options with the Union. This very reason makes the Union stance even more ridiculous.
VOTE NO. COME TO WORK WITH THE REST OF US.
The above represents my personal view, and not that of BA.