Well, a very interesting text today from BA that certainly won't make it onto BASSA's website:
Monday OP going well with high cc report rate. Large volume of EOT this weekend due release of pilot VCC-pls Back BA by picking up EOT where possible
And what does that actually mean, and please, BASSA forum members, feel free to copy this across to your balanced and respectful forum, but please, copy it in its entirety; well, it means that there is a plan to stand-up even more flights over the weekend, as the company can now plan based on todays turnout. EOT is Electronic Open Time, by the way, a means whereby trips can be crewed from an online system showing any available trips, something that perhaps could have come your way had BASSA actually chosen to negotiate rather than stonewall. Oh, they'd never have got that by negotiation, I hear you say! Hmmmm, how do you think it came our way? Yes, some serious negotiation, lasting more than a year, but here it is.
Someone on your forum talked about the massive pay-rise pilots achieved by going on to "hourly rate." Again, something to ask your union about. For a start, what ACTUALLY happened was that we saw the future back in 2003, took the entire spend on pay/allowances etc., put it into one big pot, divided it down with linear increments and eh Voila! Some did well, some lost out, but we ended up with a system that was fair for all, did away with destination allowances, and was tax-efficient.
Why do you think BASSA have avoided such a move over the years? Could it be something to do with the senior reps grabbing the high-allowance trips? Have you noticed how relatively junior the pilots are on NRT these days, since it doesn't pay and is, let's face it, not the nicest of destinations? See that hit from the tax-man earlier this year? Well, BALPA managed to negotiate an intelligent way to minimise that. BASSA didn't even realise it was an issue, and when it happened blamed the company. And BALPA.
Funnily enough, going back to the hourly-rate restructuring, it was BA who wanted to maintain a degree of "incentive" by keeping a percentage of pay related to flying hours, whilst BALPA wanted a flat-rate regardless. Methinks that would have been the same had BASSA actually had the intelligence to negotiate cleverly. Unfortunately, clever does not come into that arena, the closest you get is your own favourite barrack-room lawyer, who is wrong more often than she is right. But at least is dogged, and way more forensic than ANY of your reps, even if the glasses are tinted in BASSA's colours.
Have any of you bothered to ask about the offers in place from the company last year that included share-options and no new fleet? Because you were never told about them from BASSA. I know how much you dislike BALPA, but one of their strengths is questioning, and if any rep of ours had refused to spell-out exactly what was on offer then there would have been a revolt. Against that representative. I see no similar level of debate in BASSA. In fact, I see no debate, just blind acceptance, un-questioning praise for the reps, and a culture where raising the merest hint of dissension from the party line is stamped on immediately, personally and with insults towards that person's intelligence.
Oh yes, and one final point: there is NO representive for VCC. There is no-one or group or leader of a group saying to Willie Walsh that there will be a withdrawal of support if Staff Travel is given back to strikers. That, and other lies, and I will say it again, and even bold it,
that and other LIES from BASSA are designed to deflect you from the true failings in this dispute, and that is how you have been represented. Holley and co. will receive the letters soon enough on that, I hear, but they are responsible for this shocking state of affairs.
Ever wonder why BASSA leadership are quiet in the constant demonising of their opponent? In the demonising of pilots? In the demonising of volunteers? Not withstanding Duncan Holley's ("Admin." to the BASSA forum) lies. It is simply because it suits their agenda, and the majority of BASSA forum posters have swallowed that agenda hook, line and sinker.
Fortunately for the company, the majority will prevail. I wish you well in your ill-thought out dispute, though you are wrong, and have been mislead. Your anger should be directed at Holley, Malone, Everard and the rest of the reps who have so grossly failed you. Any settlement you now receive will be so much worse than one reached through mature negotiation. Negotiation which your reps spent outside the room punching each other, in case you haven't forgotten, or haven't read the december judgement. Again, did you actually get to see the offers that were turned down by non-attendance, beligerance and the usual finger-in-ears negotiation style?
Satan
PS As I said, feel free to post this in its entirety on the BASSA forum. It will be shot down by the usual "vile person" rhetoric. So be it. Your ire is being channeled away from where it should be. And truth hurts, somewhat.