Miss M
Crew with VS have very poor union representation which is probably one of the reasons for their low salaries as well lower terms and conditions compared to BA. No doubt they want higher salaries and maybe this explains why crew are coming to BA and rarely the other way around.
No doubt the waitress in my local cafe would "like" more money the problem she has is that she is easily replaced (like you) and the law of supply and demand dictates the pay level for this role. CC have the same problem, the reason you are currently earning above your market rate is indeed the result of strong union represenation over recent decades - this is effectively what has caused the current problems you all have. The girl in the cafe has no union representation so guess what? - she is paid the market rate for the job. If suddenly the "cafe waitress union" managed to win for their members a doubling of her wage the likelihood is the cafe would need to increase its prices and the local competition would thrive. Meanwhile her employer would whither and die unless it took drastic action - sound familiar?
Poor union representation explains why their equivalent to our CSD earns 50% less and if you were in BA you would also know that none of us will not get anywhere near those salaries ever again. Those days are long gone by.
It also explains why this dispute has come about, it is about an adjustment back to a sustainable market rate. If others are willing and able to come in and do your job at half your current rate and allowances then I am afraid that is the new market rate.
Miss your postings are educational in that they help many of us SLF see where the root of the problem really lies.
I have recently booked more flights with BA to the detriment of VS who we normally travel with. The flights during the strike period were so invigorating in terms of the attitude and obvious commitment from the on-board staff it ill be hard to match in VS Upper Class. Hopefully soon BASSA will call an all out indefinate IA which will re-create this experience. I truly hope that all my future flights with BA will be during IA periods, it was a great experience that will be hard to repeat. On an IA period flight you can be assured that the service is delivered by passionate employees focused on customer service, on a Non IA flight we can expect some service by the militants. Be assured that some of us will be on the look out for some of the neagtive attitudes threatened on this forum. Direct input to the BA CC exit managment programme will be supplied. Personally speaking I will make time to attend any pre or post sacking disciplinary hearings.
Time to get real - there are many overstated comments by BASSA CC on here about the importance of CC towards fligh safety.
Us SLF have a good idea what contributes to flight safety -
1) The Wright brothers for inventing flying - just brilliant people
2) Boeing and airbus engineers for designimg and building safe aircraft - graduates/ Phd's - minimum entrance level
3) Air Traffic controllers - smart people - graduates and above
4) Pilots - a requirement of aptitude, intelligence and character such that only .0001 % of the working population could undertake the role.
Aspects not so critical to safety? - maybe the coffee servers/door closers? - 99.9 of the population able to undertake this job.
A lot has been made of CC's role in saving PAX in a crash - fact - it has almost never happened. Before we hear about the heathrow 777 lets conisder the difference in injury/death rate between staying in that aircraft and exiting from it - answer 0 thanks very much to the skill of the pilots in getting it across the fence.