British Airways - CC Industrial Relations & Negotiations

[Albert Salmon]

A poorly considered call

WatersideWonker wrote:

"So on we go to the High Court Willie's getting to the point the public will turn against him when the public hear how all along he has wanted this fight now the gloves are off lets see who is left standing. Well two visits to the High Court not bad for a dispute which is yet to start lets hope Bassa win and the Wee man ends up with egg on his face. This is a fine game of chess next move 2pm tomorrow if Bassa lose then another ballot with even more than 92.49% with or without VR people we shall press on until our fight has been won."

While I totally agree that everyone has a legal right to go on strike, I think that the WatersideWonker may just find that his (or her) gung-ho comments will come back to bite him (or her) in the backside.

We are at the end of 2009; the "winter of discontent" was 35 years ago. Now - as was the case in 1974 - the world travelling public will lose any sympathy it might have possibly had for the BASSA cause, given that the union has chosen the most emotive time of the year to disrupt all BA's services. The world's communications media are reminding everybody that "half a million Christmases will be ruined".

The damage and the fallout from this benighted venture will last for years to come, and the company's frustrated and angry thwarted passengers will not forgive or forget the trouble BASSA will have put them through. They will vow never to fly with British Airways again, and who will be able to blame them.

If the strike does go ahead, BA may well have to cease trading. Will BASSA then find commensurate jobs for its unemployed members if that happens?

Somehow I think not.

But one group will always find employment - your union's paid employees and organisers. Your membership fees will have taken care of that. It is them who will continue to fly Club or First, while former BA CC will be queueing outside the dole offices.

Just think what a Pandora's box you have opened. It's still not to late to close it again.