Rumour has it that Airrage is a Manchester based BA pilot? Is that correct?
I have no idea whether members want to pay more or not, I suspect most would want someone else to pay more but not themselves! Why not do a poll on it, it would answer your question right away and save your CCs the time and cost.
As to never having stood for a BLAP post, why not ? you seem to have lots of ideas, so why not come along and see what it is really like ? It may not be at all as it seems from the distant foothills off the Pennines, or is it the Scottish Lowland, some say your accent hails from north of Hadrians Wall.
You will probably find that there is lots of talk of militancy, but the reality is most of us have mortgages to pay etc and the cost of a strike is not to be undertaken lightly. Juts how many do you think would have supported a strike over 777 bunks given the circumstances involved? Probably fewer than supported the Cabin Crew strike one thinks. By the way remember, that the agreement over the bunks was signed by the BA CC Chairman, with CD merely counter signing. Why ? because a compromise was reached, just as most things are a compromise. If you get on a 777 that needs a bunk because it is flying far enough to need both a 3 man crew and a bunk (the two are not connected) I understand that it is there. The head office might be the hired guns, but has to be the CC that do the biz so to speak. Head Office can only advise and certainly should not override CC, to do otherwise seems just like shouting threats and when the going gets tough getting your big brother in, which seems nice until you realise you don’t like what he is doing anyway!, Hence the answer is really only the CC, and head Office advice only.
I understand that the part time job for the Competition Commission was agreed as part of personal development or similar. It certainly was the right thing to do, or should BA only hire in Captains already qualified and save the time on staff training we put into making first officers into commanders? Any decent employer does this kind of thing, so why should BALP not set a good example of how we would like to treated to our own employees, which is what the Gen Sec is. Having an online connection politically, if that is what it gave us is a lot more effective. Who do you listen to, the guy who turns up once, knows nothing about how things work and makes an accidental pratt of themselves , or someone you have had a good working relationship with and who appears to know what they are talking about because you have seen them in action over a period? ( I have witnessed this done by an airline manger at an external meeting, it will take him some time to be accepted as a valid contributor I think !)
Please tell me and others reading this, exactly what skills and experience JF has had in either selecting or employing staff who will be operating at this level? Am I correct in thinking that JF is only a recent joiner to the NEC, has no management training, or experience and is basically a bog standard airline captain ? Has he had any experience in dealing with MDs of large companies, senior government officials, ministers or the press? These are all skills he will need and need quickly. As an airline pilot, will he be familiar with employment and industrial legislation so as to be able to advise, or be present and carry through on behalf of a CC an argument with an airline MD who wants specifically to deal with the BALPA senior official ? Will he be able to discharge he responsibilities of Gen Sec from either the 747-400 flight deck or France, where he lives? These are after all the tasks of a Gen Sec who as I state again works as directed by the NEC, who are the controlling body of the Association and not the other way round !!!!
Could be difficult I think, but we must wait and see.
The ADC result reflected what people working with CD saw in him. Some of it in areas that newcomers to the running of the organisation are maybe not aware of. Others who had seen Head Office support enable them to achieve an acceptable outcome for their circumstance. Of course not everyone was happy with it, the private members motion that was basically anti CD, put forward by Ian Saunders of Manchester, got a fair hearing , but was even to my untrained ears pretty poorly argued and smacked of angry young man lashing out at anyone for reasons I am sure that if he reads this he could explain, because I lost the plot !
As those who have spent time in the “hallowed halls” of New Road know, some of what goes on is pretty low profile and influential, like visits to the House of Lords, PACTS, meetings with heads of industry etc. Some has to be low key, because that is what the participants want ,it does not make them any less effective and broadcasting some of the things that go on would be downright counterproductive. So not all of what is going on is spread around, or not in detail.
The members elect the organisation leaders, the NEC and they answer to you, the members. The NEC directs its staff (including the Gen Sec). If you don’t trust them they come up for re-election, so stand for election yourself. You cannot have an elected body and then by means of anonymous and untraceable communications denigrate them and expect anyone else to want to do it as their replacement .It becomes almost like trials by peoples courts in Russia of the 30’s. based on rumour and half truths with those fomenting staying well, away from any risk themselves.
What would be a disaster is, if due to some grievance that we know not of, the association is run by remote control by those who would wish it run in their chosen manner, but without the desire to take the responsibility for the actions that are taken and the results thereof. It is a risk of the availability of powerful communications that are available today, that is they can get used in manner which effectively seems to become trial by the tabloid press, sometimes, barely any better informed and which is unbecoming the profession.
So if you don’t like what the NEC your elected reps are doing, put yourself up for it. For those who don’t want to do this, just think how hard it would be to hold to account persons who will not put their names to the information they spread or who wish to wiled this power without responsibility.
Bye for now
Martin Alder chairman BALPA Tech (if you don’t read the Tech Log !)
Volunteer, not paid elected by other study group chairman, but this is all my own view not anyones elses, as I said What You See Is What You Get
P.S Do get some FHR, but it is not straightforward, you can lose it all again. Lats non BALPA time off roster, but to do a BALPA job lost two days FHR and allowances to get off roster to go to essential CAA meeting, net loss best not told to her indoors !, 9 hours credit out of my hard won bank, about 7 hours FHR and a night stop in Madrid. Dare not think how much that came to !