Originally Posted by
Cherwell
Unions still have a role in protecting workers in this environment.
Absolutely. But there are unions and there are unions.
This whole affair makes me feel young again, because I grew up in the 70s and some of my earliest childhood memories are sitting at home reading by candle-light because the power workers were out on strike in support of the miners who were out on strike in support of the British Leyland workers who were striking because their daily tea-breaks had been reduced from eight hours to six. Since the 80s unions have been so tame, and now we have a no-holds-barred fight as BASSA have apparently not noticed that it's now the 21st century.
As others have pointed out many times, a 21st century union would have negotiated with the company to get the best deal for their members even if it meant giving up a few perks that they could live without; which would have been substantially better than what's now on offer. BASSA were foolish enough to call a strike over a minor issue which their members were not willing to support in large enough numbers to have any real impact on the company... and then continue even when that strategy has been clearly shown to be a complete failure.
That's what makes it all so interesting to an outsider; whereas most companies would have laid off the worst troublemakers by now regardless of cost BA have bent over backwards to be nice to BASSA strikers yet they still bite the hand that's held out to them. BA management can't do that forever and the longer the strikes continue the more they'll be able to lay off and replace with New Fleet when the time comes for the nuclear option.