Do the deals Unite have agreed for other staff include any pay rise? I ask as the offer to CC does (not that they have accepted it - other than the non union CC) My husband said there was some dissatisfaction that CC were at least offered 3% rises, presumably because they still have some 'clout', and others have been offered less. But if it's simply 'held up' he may just be insufficiently informed. Feeling that CC have already got more offered than them may make the rest unlikely to back CC, but...
Staff travel could be an issue, it's clear that any other branches that may at some time in the future have a genuine greivance and need to strike, will also lose staff travel, once BA have done that successfully once, it will become the norm. Hubby feels most people he talks to do not actually agree with permanent loss of staff travel seniority as a punishment for IA. However much 'they were warned' and know it's not contractual, it is still a punishment.
Woodley has been quite reasonable during negotiations and all but did a deal with Walsh just before the first strike, which was scuppered by BASSA and McCluskey, but I feel he is genuinely angered by the staff travel position. Possibly he would have accepted the ACAS observers re the disciplinaries, as BA offered, rather than ACAS actually mediating them as BASSA want, if the staff travel were returned (although whether he could sell it to BASSA remains doubtful)
However, if the rest of BA backed CC on loss of staff travel to the point of striking, their own staff travel would go immediately, rather than a 'maybe' in the future, unless they won. BA can't afford to back down, they'd lose all credibility in the city, with passengers, share price etc. Personally I hope the others don't back CC, and doubt they would if push came to shove, but there are issues.
Last edited by just an observer; 11th Sep 2010 at 16:01.