And now he has thousands, yes thousands of cabin crew voting to not turn up to work because they are so unhappy with their lot.
Ah, but there is a big difference between ticking a box to "send Willie a message" "about New Fleet / respect / imposition / customer service" (delete or add as appropriate - all are reasons I've heard from fellow crew) and actually going out on strike with all the risks that involves.
"Willie can't sack us" (He can, actually)
"Willie won't sack us" (Hmm, depends how much of a message HE wants to send. Sack now, pay £11k unfair dismissal in 3 years time)
"Willie can't remove my staff travel for life" (Really? 100% sure about that? Been tested in court has it?)
As Cabin Crew, we are classic "weak strikers". Lots of box-ticking and message-sending but quick to capitulate and come into work. Even with those "sending Willie a message" only 61% of CC actually voted to strike. EVERY SINGLE ONE I know who voted yes, also SIGNED UP TO WORK as the last strike neared. Says it all. Those who strike are really going out on a limb. You risk everything. I can't say how that'll work out for you but I'd be damn worried if I was going to walk (I'm not btw).
Now, I did the figures once before but with 12,000 crew and only 7500 definite "Yes-votes", that leaves....
4500 coming to work
1000 further "yes-vote" capitulations?
600 temp staff back on the books
1000 pilots
1000 groundstaff trained as CC
Ballpark figures (the capitulaters will be FAR higher, on that I'll bet my life) but we then have circa 8000 crew coming to work. That's 2/3rds of the normal workforce.
Willie then reduces crew to CAA legal minimums and reduces the usual requirement of 12,000 by at least 20%, so now only needs 9600 crew (of which he has 8000 already).
Cancel duplicate flights, amalgamate flights and pass some work on to Codeshare partners and you can see that it's already Game, Set and Match to Willie. The mandate was too weak, BA have too many strike-breakers.
It's over before it's even started.