British Airways - CC Industrial Relations Mk V

[TOM100]

romans44

you are spot on, I think a modern, progressive TU have a really important role to play, but they must be commercially switched on and be prepared to take some tough decisions and move away from the mantra of management = evil. It is in everyone's interest for a company to be financially successful, it secures and creates jobs. Equally, the TU's are right to try and get the best for the workforce, to share in that success (but if no success, no workforce !).

I do take issue with the behaviours and approach of some of the BASSA reps, their aims may well be benign but they are not (in my experience) professional, balanced in their approach or pragmatic. Unfortunately, even those who were not around in the 70's (not all reps were, agreed) are 'handed down' the way we do things and how we work with BA, and hence perpetuating archaic behaviours and a spent approach (how many times have we heard the phrases thrown "macho management" and "union bashers" when debating with reps, a position they don't agree with !!). These kind of behaviours saw many great British institutions confined to the dustbin because they could not get themselves/their work practices 'fit for purpose' in a modern era. You can't (laws of economics) compete in a price sensitive, competitive market place with unproductive, uncompetitive methods/costs. The cash will eventually run out, lack of investment will be very apparent in your product, exacerbating your uncompetitive offering.......

BASSA need to think about their strategic objectives, how they make themselves relevant in 2010 (which IMO, they are failing at miserably) instead of playing out a short-term ego war against BA. They will just extract more extreme behaviours from BA management.

Negotiate 'intelligently' concede this to BA, for example, in return for future assurances, ways of working etc (a la BALPA scope agreement etc - I have nothing to do with BALPA by the way). Behave professionally, bite their tongue sometimes, sometimes accept they need to concede a point but try and get something out of it for the future). Accept the case for change ! It does not have to be "the shape of things to come" if you use opportunities to build in future things, but that might mean giving up things now......you can't argue with the current economic situ.....