As a BA longhaul pilot, my experience of the last few months talking to CC is that they voted yes to a strike because of the following reasons:
1. WW hadn't gone to any meetings
2. They stood to lose £15000 each
3. They did not like losing 1 crew at LHR (they didn't know LGW were already at these crewing levels)
4. They wanted to give WW a bloody nose and get him sacked
5. They thought they would get full basic salary if they were on strike
6. They could just go sick if a strike happened and not be involved so no risk
7. Staff travel during a strike , for commuters, would be protected even if they went on strike, in case they changed their minds
8. A number of other reasons which were unbelievable but which they believed, including the point that BASSA had offered BA more cuts than it had originally asked for
OH, and the over-rider....the belief that a strong yes vote would win the day, but that come a strike, many wouldn't go on strike.
In amicable chats that I had with intelligent CC, I could not believe that they thought the above. Most of the time it was because "BASSA says".
I feel sorry for the company, and for the vast majority of CC who have been led to a bad situation by BASSA/Unite and asked for a second time to vote yes.
I just hope that on the BASSA forum, there are plenty of honest answers from Reps now for any genuine questions the crew raise, as it is only fair in this 11th hour that they are not deceived by their union.