Sorry, not a BALPA elected rep, just a member who volunteers do some work on a frequent basis and prepared to say who I am, what I do in BALPA added in case anyone wants to find me and speak to me . I have no more power over what goes on at NEC etc than anyone else who is a member of BALPA , I speak when asked and I speak what I feel is right, not what fits politically, but I do try not to wind people up by making unjustified personal attacks. I have found it does not get the job done so to speak and just creates a situation where someone wants to settle a personal score instead of actually dealing with problems and real issues.
As mentioned earlier, I am prepared to say who I am because I believe that you cannot have a democratic debate in a secret society, the very thing that some accuse the NEC in doing over the election of the Gen Sec ! If you read the minutes of the NEC meetings, which are public, you can deduce what, when and why the whole thing happened. Note, have just read the BALPA site, which quite clearly states that the Gen Sec is elected by law every 5 years, so that answers one of the comments made by someone earlier about "BALPA should have to elect the Gen Sec every five years! It is already done, the comment merely revealing how some seemed unaware of the process’s within BALPA which is a shame, because it means that some may have made choices based on less than accurate assumptions. Going back to candidates, this time and the one before I suppose, only one candidate was assumed at least I cannot remember anyone else’s name on a ballot paper 5 years ago. This time a second one came forward at a relatively late stage. That’s the way it goes and the system provides for that, as it rightly should. Had no other candidate been put forward the system suffers like other elections we participate in, that is, not having a "I don't like this person” or in a multiple candidacy, “I don’t like any of these, please start again” option, perhaps it should? As it doesn’t and the NEC had no apparent reason to sack, or otherwise terminate the contract, the status quo would not have seemed unreasonable.
As ANY Gen Sec is not responsible for local negotiations, it is hard to see why the relative position of us a group in the pay relativity league tables should be wholly the responsibility of a post holder who doesn’t actually do the job (i.e. the local negotiations unless invited to support) and make the final decision on acceptance. A degree of responsibility for that must lie at CC level surely ? If the CC don’t think you can squeeze the goose any harder, perhaps they decide to quite whilst ahead. Perhaps in some larger CCs, they had persons with no personal emotional stake take a look at the situation and decide that personal ego and pride had taken over and was running the risk of becoming a personal virility battle at the expense of the members ? It happens in trade unions, so no reason why we ware exempt
As to borrowing for a fund. Ask some of those at the bottom of the pile, i.e. in my case BA CEPs/DEPs with 20 to 60k of debt, if they can go out and borrow another 15k to tide them over? Yes, it is only £60 or £70 pcm, over 25 years, making somewhat over £30k to repay, but these people are already stretched enough for one of them to ask me if they could stop paying their pension contributions . So they would need to be a big rise to cover that expense, assuming we are going to be doing this every , say 5 years. Practical for some of us, but not so for many. Someone could do a quick spreadsheet answer regarding the balance of salary lost via each strike versus frequency and economic impact on an individual. There is a trade off and the gain has to be positive , not only financially, but in terms of relationships. Those at home as well as at work, because having been involved in a strike scenario (ATC early 70’s), it is not for the feint hearted for sure and does not make life easier, either before during or for some time after.
There is talk of is of talk of big pay rises and percentages. Quite keen on 20% myself , but looking at the numbers for industry, it does not seem to be the kind of rise it could stand in the overall pay bill. Yes BA has a demographic bonus in view and that issue is being addressed, i.e. how to keep the existing cash in our half of the equation not some one else’s! One can only hope that as we get into a position where we can attack this issue, that we get our just rewards. The final percentages that are likely to be achieved have to be somewhere near realistic and sustainable, note that after that big pay rise last year, UAL pilots are taking the 10% pay cut, but getting a stock option reward. A good idea and one which I understand, several people are looking at. You just have to avoid buying the shares, so to speak at Enron or World Com boom price time I suppose! Of other interest is, that that pay cut is happening, i.e cash conservation by UAL even though the US carriers have access to 15 billion dollars of US government money to help them with the economic downturn connected with Sept 11. In the UK we have had very little help, as have many other EU carriers.
As I said, I am not industrial, it is not what turns me on ! (steam, after burners Fenders and ,well the other sex thanks!), but I do want to see us work in a logical manner. The risk associated with power so to speak, being devolved down and applied in a pretty uncoordinated manner are not to be dismissed lightly. If we are to operate in terms of start a rumour etc on the basis of less than complete info and probably a degree of emotion, makes it easy for the opposition to take you out. e.g. Napoleon and Russia!
All I point out is, that there is a lot of possibly hot air is being spoken about what we can achieve and how to do it, which may not prove to be achievable, or have been shown to be achievable in a UK context. How much is being spoken by people who have experience of the finer points of industrial negotiations and the like? There are also some unfortunate misconceptions regarding governance of the association, tasks and responsibilities. we do need to communicate what is happening, but there is a risk you reveal to the opposition waht you are going to do, soas long as it is enough, let's not go over the top. as to members feelings etc, we need some better way of getting the measure it, but even now, are people talking to their reps?
There are issues that worry me and some real ones to tackle, like for example, the pay cut that some people get when their pension stops being contributed to arbitrarily, as seems will happen at for some at BA and other companies. Hard facts are there to get to grips with and fight over. However, as you know the law in the UK makes it much less easy to fight on the industrial front than in the past. The warning you give the other side, because the law says you have to, makes it easier for us to be lined up and shafted if the strategy and tactics are not well considered and within the law. That requires logic and not emotion.
Quite what anyone could have legally done over Dan Air, please state? It was a great sadness to see it go. A friend ended his life due to it. BA did itself absolutely no favours at all over how it handled it. No idea what the BALPA solution if any presented to to BA was. Did hear that BA presented an ultimatum accept or we let it sink, so what should have been done and how?
This is my own personal view, it is not anything to do with the NEC or anyone on it. I am not an industrial rep, so am exactly the same as any other member. I just try to get a little logic into an emotional debate !
TTFN
Martin Alder