Who offered what & when has become so distorted (don't want to point fingers here) that I'd lost track - so I went back through my wife's BA company mail (she's a Worldwide Purser) to find out what was offered at the end of June last year - that's
8 months ago...
Here's BA's offer, lifted directly from ESS.
Synopsis:
-
NO NEW FLEET
- One crew off the aircraft
- New disruption agreement.
- Reduce downroute nightstops.
Of these 4 main points I believe the 'stopper' for most crew would actually be the least expensive (to BA) item on that list, the downroute nightstops. Crew hate the idea of this - and so would I. It would turn the job into an unmitigated grind.
If Unite/BASSA/Amicus could've got their sh1t together last summer I'm sure that the last item could've been negotiated away (think it was worth £7m IIRC).
Was this really so very far away from 'acceptable' to be worth a strike?
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From ESS:-
The proposal – what changes do we need to make to working practices
I’ve made a number of changes to the proposal that I initially tabled at the start of June, as a direct result of listening to your feedback about what was important to you. I am no longer proposing a separate Mixed Fleet at Heathrow. I also withdrew any reductions in worldwide MBTs.
Here is what I proposed to the unions on 29 June:- Pay
I accepted Unite’s original offer of a two year basic pay freeze until February 2011 and a one year increment freeze for those on a basic salary of over £14,500 pa (from 1 January 2010 until 31 December 2010). This is accepted on the basis of a permanent saving, not a temporary loan.
- New contracts for future crew at Heathrow
I accepted Unite’s informal proposal of an integrated approach for all main crew recruited at Heathrow joining on new rates of pay and terms and conditions. This is accepted on the basis that all future promotion opportunities for new and existing crew will be to a new single grade and contract. The pay structure for this new grade has not been discussed.
- The option of a new fixed monthly duty payment
Some of you have expressed concern that the introduction of new recruits will have a financial impact on you, and in particular the taxable allowances you receive on certain trips. These concerns are around the cherry-picking of routes and starving existing crew of work.
In response, I am offering an option to replace the current variable allowances paid to Heathrow crews with a new, simplified, fixed monthly duty payment. This would be standardised by grade and fleet, regardless of your actual flying roster. Meal allowances would continue to be variable and paid as at present and your basic pay will obviously remain unchanged. This approach would also overcome roster ‘fair share’ by doing away with high and low earning routes, an issue that I know you are concerned about.
This element, which would only be paid to current crew at Heathrow, would be based on the averages of last year’s actual figures paid within these grades and fleets. It doesn’t cost the company any more money and would help you as individuals to better plan.
NB, this new fixed monthly duty payment is only an option and retaining all of the existing variable allowances, as now, would also be acceptable instead.
Naturally you will want to know what allowances would be consolidated:
World Wide Heathrow Eurofleet Heathrow- Long Range Premiums (box payments)
- Back To Back Payments
- Destination Payments
- Extra Time Payments
- Time Away Allowance
- Telephone Allowance
- Long Day Payments
- Extra Time Payment
- Base Early Report
- Telephone Allowance
- Reduced crew complements
Like all of you, I am very passionate about our focus on the customer and with this in mind I have proposed a balanced approach that minimises reductions onboard and includes significant changes to productivity on the ground:
Worldwide:- One purser position will be removed from all Heathrow Worldwide flights (747,777,767), but with all Worldwide CSDs included in the customer service routines
- Removal of the additional main crew members on Heathrow long range routes and additional crew member routes (12 destinations)
- Reduce down route double night stops to single nights (14 destinations)
- Early day report will be removed to allow crew to report for duty from 06:01 onwards.
Eurofleet:- The crew complements on Eurofleet flights will be varied to make them consistent with those currently operated at Gatwick
- Days off per month reduced from 10 days to 9 days off for all Eurofleet Heathrow crew, in line with Gatwick
- The use of a single supervisor on all Eurofleet flights, either a CSD or a purser, balancing the work between these grades
- Extend the finish time before days off on Eurofleet to 22:00.
Gatwick:- One purser position will be replaced with a main crew member on 777 3-class aircraft at Gatwick, consistent with Heathrow.
International Cabin Crew:- Maximise the utilisation of ICC crew on existing designated routes.
Implement a new disruption agreement
Put our customers first during times of disruption by implementing a new operational recovery arrangement. This would apply to all fleets and involve all colleagues adopting a flexible approach to their normal working arrangements in order to resolve any disruption as soon as possible. This would include the following:- Re-plan and re-route services to repatriate our customers
- Cabin Crew may be required to vary their scheduled roster and to undertake such additional or different duties as may be required to continue to provide our services
- Use 24 hour availability with 12 hours’ notice to call forward Cabin Crew in order to gap fill
- Restrict Eurofleet Cabin Crew from requesting 18 hours off in the event of a delay
- Contact Cabin Crew at home to advise of roster changes during disruption
- Introduction of willing-to-work
- Operate with reduced crew complements.
- Moving B767 routes to Eurofleet
There is an option to explore the possibility of transferring the B767 routes from Worldwide to Eurofleet.
The package – what’s on offer to you
You know most of this detail already but let me just recap, I am offering a number of opportunities which improve people’s work/lifestyle balance in IFCE alongside any changes we make. These are:- Permanent part time contracts, available to all grades
707 crew have applied for permanent part time on the new list that we ran in June, in addition to the 4,678 crew who were already on the existing lists. We would also open a new list for 33% part-time contracts for an additional 150 crew.
- Voluntary redundancy
3,722 crew have registered their interest. This is a ‘best offer’ opportunity to a maximum of 52 weeks.
- Transfers
Once both part-time and voluntary redundancy have been exhausted, we will review transfers between Eurofleet and Worldwide for the 2,946 crew at Heathrow who are already on the existing transfer waiting list in line with operational and business need. Please note that there will be no further permanent recruitment or permanent transfers into Heathrow on the existing Heathrow contract as this would increase costs.
So, as you can see, I am hopeful that subject to the take up of these offers, all of the 2,000 full time equivalent people reductions would be achievable voluntarily, but we have to achieve the proposals as well to be able to absorb all of these reductions.