Staff travel and other "perks" (such as groundstaff being allowed to finish early etc) are non-contractural.... don't think there's anyone who essentially disagrees with that ??
The company allows them as an expression of it's appreciation that the staff show their goodwill towards the company in how they work.
That is, the staff demonstrate their goodwill by acting in a way which enhaces the company .. perhaps by not insisting on breaks when it might disrupt customers, not claiming overtime for sake of five minutes extra work, using discretionary time when duty hours are under pressure .. etc, etc...
I believe any company is free to withdraw any of these at any time for any individual or group who have shown their goodwill has been withdrawn.
Equally the staff are entitled at any time to decide that they no longer want the companies goodwill and as long as they work within the terms of their contract that should be OK...
It's an open and freely entered "bargain" on both sides, which can cease at any time on the whim of either side.... without penalty to either side.
As for HMRC - at the moment I believe staff travel is one of those things where the employer pays a "notional" tax .. based on the fact that it is a "casual/inconsistent" perk.
If it's decided that staff travel is a right/contractural benefit then I think it would indeed carry implication not only for all BA staff but for all staff in this industry.
I suggest it would move from a notional tax rate paid by the employer to a firmly taxed benefit in kind which would have to appear on the payslip and be taxed directly to the employee (perhaps along similar lines to company cars with private use allowed).
So then the commuters will be even more unhappy .. maybe faced with getting staff travel back but have to pay tax on it as it's used
That would also increase the cost of the perk to the company. Right now with the state of the industry I suspect that any attempt to get the employer to absorb any extra cost itself would surely fall on deaf ears.....
Whatever way you look at it and whatever you believe the outcome would be .... it's a can of worms waiting to bite
