PCCC recognition
I think some people are getting unnecessarily hung up on the legal niceties of this. If PCCC is perceived as being helpful, then BA will "recognise" it in some way, either formally under labour relations law, or simply just by using it informally.
I'll give you an example of the latter. A few pages back Slidebustle detailed some aspects of the new work arrangements she feels aren't working and said "I'm going to feed back to my manager". The impression given is that the fedback will be constructive. Ideally it will involve suggestions of how to change/improve arrangements so they do work. Most importantly, however, such feedback looks as though it will be of the "punters aren't getting what they think they paid for" variety, and not "it isn't in my T&Cs".
Now, imagine she also says, "I'm in PCCC. We've discussed this and suggest we do X, Y, and Z to see if we can make it work. We're happy to trial it for you if you agree". I'm going to assume here that where SB has issues correlates to relatively poor customer feedback. If this is a reasonable assumption, we now have a position where SB's manager also has an opportunity to look smart in front of his/her manager, by identifying the reasons for the poor customer feedback and putting forward some options to try and improve things. Even better for BA generally is that PCCC offers an organised group willing to engage in product development and management from a customer marketing perspective, not one of "does it comply with our work agreements?".
It is clear that a key aim of BA in the current dispute is to ensure it has more flexibility in future to adjust its product offering, rapidly where necessary. The days of having to get Union agreement to hand out hot towels in WT+, for instance, are over I would suggest. BA needs groups like PCCC who are simply willing to engage. This isn't just a CC issue either. It opens up opportunities to empower office-based managers of the in-cabin product to experiment and trial new ideas on a limited basis. This cannot currently be possible if everything requires formal sign off with the Unions before implementation.
So, I can't see why BA would not want to "recognise" PCCC in some way or other. Do people in PCCC care whether this is formal or not? The only area where I can see it to be of immediate concern to people thinking of switching from Unite is in the disciplinary area. Union membership does provide legal rights of representation and attendance on Union officials. However, this is actually more an issue of whether PCCC formally registers as a Union. If it does, then members have a right to representation/attendance whether BA recognises PCCC or not.
In short, if BA sees PCCC as offering opportunities to engage with cabin crew in product development and management, then they'd simply be stupid not to recognise it, however that is defined. As I've said previously, it seems strange that the work group with the biggest face-to-face interraction with customers appears at present to have the least flexibility and involvement in product design and delivery. Their involvement is currently curtailed by a process that over-emphasises the sanctity of existing formal agreements (such things really are not as immutable as the Ten Commandments). The evolution of such a process is the fault of both Unions and previous BA management regimes: managements get the Unions they deserve.
If BA and PCCC develop a relationship initially along the line above, then discussions will naturally evolve to cover other aspects of the relationship, right up to consideration of whether PCCC should negotiate collective agreements for its members, and indeed if members actually want them.
Of course, if PCCC becomes that successful, it will have the challenge of ensuring it does not become just another self-perpetuating bureaucracy that displays all the worst defects of the organisation it is now competing with.