Originally Posted by M.Mouse
This would explain what I read on the BALPA forum of the extraordinary situation where volunteer cabin crew have recently flown some rescue flights working alongside regular CC. Whether the regulars included strikers or not I do not know.
I'd be very, very interested to hear if it did.
Afterall, I can only assume that the reason we're bringing volunteers in is because what the company is trying to do with these flights is operate them outside of the Worldwide Scheduling Agreement - i.e. against the union's wishes.
However, the majority of the destinations (certainly from Heathrow) that relief flights are being sent to are long-range destinations (i.e. money earners). So there's every possibility the lure of the cash will mean some strikers might go ahead and operate.
See, the problem for the majority of the striking crew is that it's going to be difficult to sustain a further period with no income. Following the previous spell of strikes and the week of grounding as a result of the volcano, money is extremely tight.
Indeed, a couple of my friends who DID go on strike said to me that they'd probably have to go to work next time because they can't afford more time off.
I tried to explain that going to work even if they'd gone on strike last time would mean that they are in the same boat as all the other "strike-breaking" crew, including myself. Infact, they'd be in much the situation as those who went to Bedfont on an MBT but when to work the next day......
My friends tried to tell me that it wouldn't because they'd gone on strike first time around and that the only reason they're working second time is because they need the cash, but doesn't
everyone who goes to work during a strike have their own reasons for doing it?
For those who went on strike first time around - people for whom I have absolute respect - they've set a prescedent, and going to work during the next strike will make all they've done and all they lost completely pointless.
It's a worrying situation because I personally don't see Walsh budging on the staff travel issue or the suspensions (though I wish he would on some of them). And for Bassa to accept anything less than the complete re-instatement of both travel perks and suspended crew wouldn't really bode well.