I have been following the posts for the last 24 hours and like the hundreds of other observers of this thread, I have been waiting for a simple explanation as to why this strike is going to further the UNITE/BASSA cause and what it would take to get a settlement.
Runway Vacated concludes his post with:
The end of this saga is inevitable. Any company that can carry out 110% of its planned operations (and 65% of it's normal operations) during an "all out" strike by an "essential" component of its' workforce doesn't really have much to worry about.
It is only a matter of time.
And like everything in this affair, Mr Walsh has clearly given plenty of notice as to what will happen and sure enough it has, much to the surprise of some participants in this dispute.
I cannot quote him accurately but words to the effect of: “If this matter is not concluded by June, then new contracts will be issued”. Perhaps someone will know where to find the actual text. He also alluded when speaking after the breakdown of talks last Friday that the formal recognition of UNITE/BASSA had been downgraded to the lowest possible level.
Given that UNITE/BASSA have a position that insists that re-instatement of staff travel is part of any settlement and that suspended crew are re-instated, you can see that June will come around very quickly for some.
Whilst you are checking the legal position with O H Parsons about loss of staff travel, payment during strike periods, 90 day notice of change of contract, ask them about compulsory redundancies and who goes first. I think you will find it is not automatically done on date of joining any more but more on performance.
Who would you select, someone who had just breached the terms of their contract by striking, or someone who had shown loyalty for their employer by continuing to work during a strike despite some pretty unpleasant rhetoric and now allegedly some physical actions.
Off to work tomorrow so avoiding this particular decision but have already made my position clear last weekend. I will listen to any argument but none is forthcoming from the pro strike camp merely a load of reactive spin.
Mr Walsh has been very clear and unequivocal and I am confident that if there is no change of heart by UNITE/BASSA then some very unfortunate people will be looking at their P45 in June and the accompanying cheque will be one weeks pay for each year of service.
Tell me why this can't and won't happen.