I've been with BA for over 30 years and spent 15 years flying LH. In all that time, some of it as a shop steward or staff rep, it would have been inconceivable for me to consider volunteering to do someone elses work to cover their industrial actions ...until now.
I, along with many staff, do not have the benefit of being on an incremental scale and our pay awards are dependant on company performance. You can see where I'm going here!!! Everytime some group within the airline feels like sabotaging the profitability of the company my paycheck suffers. I've followed the latest attempt to deny me any chance of any award/job in the immediate future with some interest. That bunch of
BASSAs seem hell bent on leading, what I know to be, a fairly decent bunch of dedicated crew straight into the growing legion of the unemployed. They employ the grammatically challenged rhetoric of the 1970's shop stewards. Short on facts and high on emotion, every arguement they have evaporates under the gentle heat of the slightest illumination. I now hear that they have suggested that BA return to the old crewing levels but, in the meantime, we can cope by cancelling flights/closing zones and capping first class. It defies belief and leaves most of the airline speechless.
Therefore, I will join the other volunteers (2000 plus and growing) and prepare for CC training. If me being available to dish out some grub/man a door/apologise for my colleagues' stupidity makes the smallest contribution to me being able to continue in long term employment then so be it. I'm hoping that I don't have to be used in the CC role as the thought of an East Coast Back to Back already fills me with dread. However that's more palatable than explaining to my kids why Dad doesn't go to work anymore.
I've had a wine too many and I'm off to bed. I'm no longer sleeping 'malone'.
To all of the BASSA stalwarts on this site (Watersidewonker et al) keep posting...You really do make me laugh.
Night night!
