Where Next?
I have had enough of this nice red juice to feel confident to make a few foolish predictions.
Press release from BASSA today is full of diversionary bluster. It indicates (yet again), that they are scared to pull the trigger. The idea at the end of their epistle that BA should use this interval to reconsider is pure fantasy.
Soooo...., prediction No1:
BASSA will wait until the 15th. March to call a strike.
(Reasoning - a)This may give the impression that they are being really,really reasonable. b) They DO believe that they ARE being reasonable! c) It gives them a bit of thinking time.
Prediction No. 2:
They will call a couple of shortish strikes (the first shorter than the 2nd) one before Easter and the other after Easter.
(Reasoning - a) They can claim to be honourable - they have kept their word about not striking over Easter.
b) They will be offering WW another "chance" to reflect that they really mean buisiness. And that he will be so impressed by strike No. 1 that he will capitulate before the 2nd! (This is for motivation of the troops.)
c)The shortness of the first strike would be to disguise the fact that it will fail if they have any sort of sustained strike.
Prediction No3:
Even the first short strike will fail. (Ok that was an easy one!)
Reasoning (mine):
A combination of the events at Aer Lingus, the passage of time, the increasing isolation of the CC, (not least from all the other staff groups in BA) and the resolutely reasonable stance of the BA management will cause support for strike action to evaporate.
Finally BA has had plenty of time to make the necessary preparations and they will wisely run a flight programme that they can relatively comfortably achieve with their resources, so that they can say in advance what they will do and then DO IT - thus success!