There are many things concerning this dispute that I don't understand - some of the terminology is but one, small, item which constant reading tends to clarify - but currently the most unfathomable is BASSA's
thinking over the last few weeks. To be sure, 'thinking' and 'BASSA' are words not often accurately linked in this matter, but the sheer
stupidity - I can think of no better word - of the BASSA leadership is breath taking.
If their leadership had sat down to discuss their next action, with the
specific objective of making the worst, possible decision for their membership, this would probably be it.
It is almost impossible to imagine a more destructive decision, in the circumstances - one wonders if Willie Walsh sometimes has to rethink his strategy because he keeps granting the BASSA leadership an average amount of intelligence and they keep proving him wrong!
There is another aspect that BASSA either doesn't understand, doesn't know, is trying to ignore or wishes it didn't know. As I have said before, I have read
all of the BA/BASSA thread and
all of this one and it is possible to 'sense' the strength of feeling in the rest of BA. After the 23 day strike announcement, the strength of feeling against BASSA in all the other departments who
have negotiated and agreed with BA, who are now 'pulling out all the stops' to ensure the continuation of BA as a viable entity, is quite extraordinary.
It is not difficult to imagine the baggage handlers, for example, as having quite strong union membership - UNITE membership indeed - yet these people feel genuinely threatened by the BASSA action and are ready, willing and able to take strike breaking action. There have been several posts by people who are definitely working well above and beyond normal working practice with the sole objective of breaking the BASSA industrial action. This fact alone should make any proactive, thinking,
caring union, sit up and take
lots of notice.
BASSA, it seems, are either unaware or completely unconcerned. I am very much afraid that those who go on strike in the next tranche' will be the very first to cry 'foul' and 'its so unfair' to a crowded dole office. After so long and so many people trying to tell them how it really is, it is difficult to see them as anything else but
volunteers.
Roger