To any interested BA cabin crew who may be worried about turning up for work I just wanted to add my experience of reporting at the CRC. First off, I'm a pilot, not cabin crew, however the following is as honest an interpretation of my experience and observations as I can offer.
At the car park extra security has been laid on to ensure only those rostered to operate gain access. The buses to T5, have had their windows obscured to give you privacy. There is additional security at T5 and as you enter the terminal you will see BA staff wearing bibs marked "crew support".
Looking at the cabin crew faces in the CRC it was clear that many felt apprehensive about being there. The mood was actually quite friendly and positive though on entering my briefing room, the crew who had showed were clearly a little on edge. Come report time, 8 of our cabin crew had reported, enough for minimum crew on a 777. We had an additional 4 volunteers allocated to our flight, all of whom were subsequently sent home. Our crew were very friendly and there appeared a real sense of camaraderie. Once some of the initial nerves had been overcome, there was even some laughter and the acting CSD made the point that now they (the crew) were here, that they each knew their role and it was important to enjoy the flight as best they could. The crew seemed quite chatty and keen to get the job done. BA have laid on various support staff in the CRC to help with concerns/issues etc.
Our flight got away on time (nearly). It was explained to the passengers that due to the industrial dispute a simplified cabin service would be offered. From what the crew told me, no passengers complained about this and were grateful they would be getting to their destination as planned.
During the flight the cabin crew seemed in good spirits although a general concern was how they would answer questioning from colleagues on subsequent flights regarding the strike. One commented to me that it was nice to do a flight without any militant opinions being banded around. We contacted ops at our destination in advance to ensure that there would be no cross over between our crew and the inbound crew on arrival. On the bus to the hotel there was good natured chat and banter, certainly more than is often the case after a long haul flight!
I thought our cabin crew handled themselves in a very professional and mature manner on what must clearly have been a difficult day for them. I sincerely hope a satisfactory resolution to the dispute is found soon for all concerned.