Oh hear we go, if you don't like it, pay your subs AND stand for election.
A statement that has cost us many members over the years.
Anything more constructive to say Scottie?
In many ways I agree with Dreamshiner, but I also see that in many ways BALPAs hands are tied thanks to the heavily employer loaded employment laws in this country. Something BALPA and every other union should be doing something about.
Look at the complexities involved in the BA cabin crew dispute, every t must be crossed and i dotted then teams of lawyers go over it and they go to court take out injunctions..................
Then look at our SXF base. Tomorrow morning we strike for the first wave. Done and dusted.
If we did that in the UK we would be out of a job and if BALPA said do it they would be sued by the company.
BALPA walk a fine line in the UK but what they do not do a good job at is communicate and lead from the front ( or top ) and I have told Jim McAuslan this on more than one occassion.
None of us pull in the same direction and if we did then Cor et al may take us a bit more seriously. Nick and team do a great job but are only effective with a solid membership behind them and that we do not have. This is where BALPA fails. It needs a charasmatic leader to rally the troops and herd us like a sheepdog to all point the same way, because I can see that, does that mean I should stand for election Scottie? No, I am not the man for the job, I do think NSF could do a great job for BALPA, but I mean a full time BALPA leader, because Jim McAuslan is a great debater, he is well versed in employment law, he is a great asset to BALPA, but not as top dog.
BALPA does need to reinvent itself, with that I agree 100%, and if people were to look at this unscientific poll and pick it to pieces without even thinking about its results then to me it is clear their heads are in the sand and they are happy with our % membership, our % response to ballots and the continual abuse of our agreements by EZY.
The problem is two fold, people need to sign up to, and back BALPA, but BALPA needs to take that membership, consolidate it and show it can lead and deliver. Otherwise we have the status quo, which is not delivering what we need.