Many years from now you will look back on this summer and say “I am so glad and proud I did what I did”, I wonder if Willie Walsh will feel that same pride?
The answer is NO you won't - AND - YES I will.
The truth is that BASSA is no longer the force it was (if it ever was) and has shown such gross mis-management and foresight it now has to look inwards to see how far they have truly let their members down. To the detriment of its members it now has few, in any, alternatives to take a further stance on ST as just one example. They knew well that this was a perk and warned again and again that it would be taken from them. Fighting for it was NEVER an option, it was always there. So, when BASSA turned down perfectly acceptable offers and went on strike they shot themselves in the foot. I doubt that UNITE have ever come across a situation like that before. What a useless exercise that was and once again proved how silly and stupid they had been. UNITE then took the strike to a 'NEW' level - and changed the reason for striking for the return of ST! What a ridiculous thing to happen.
So now the union is clutching at straws. Inventing nasty little stories about BA bullying its staff while all the time it is they bullying their own members. Time after time they try to impress using the 'success' of the Bedfont fiasco. Claiming massive support by filling
one bus or 300 or 400 hundred eating whatever DH can come up with. At best they were incentives paid for by DH at worst they were a pathetic attempt to persuade others to join in. For it to be effective there should have been 2000 or 3000+ there. Where were they? The press were never going to be interested in a group of cats posing as lions.
It is time to be realistic and accept that your gripes were badly mis-handled by your reps using dirty tactics that go back to the bad old days of unions. Since then the whole wicked world of the bad old unions has been to to sleep.
I sincerely hope that if BASSA has another ballot it it will fail. Simply because the guys and girls of BA are far far better than having out of date thinking by rabble rouser's representing them.
I truly wish the cc staff, and the whole of BA well. I know that it will come good if you all get out from under the power of self seeking, power hungry despots.
Good luck.