MissM
Fingers crossed we will have a good result in court. I really hope they will rule in favour for Unite and make BA reimburse every single penny which commuters have to spend on ticket and hotel costs because they lost their staff travel concessions for participating in a lawful industrial action. That would make my day! Last edited by MissM : Today at 15:34.
Whuch court action would that be ? What bit of the law are Unite trying to use to get BA to return Staff Travel,bearing in mind that the two sides are still in dispute ? Oh and BA have been very public about offering to return staff travel to those wo went on strike once the dispute is settled.
What is a court going to say ? BA have offered to return the perk, just as they have in the past, but only when Unite agree to a cessation. Unite have clearly not agreed to any such thing and are still in dispute. Asking the court to return staff travel is asking the judiciary to be involved in settling the dispute. Not going to happen is it. Once again Unite have gone off half cock. The correct way forward would be to settle the dispute, wait to see whether BA return staff travel and then take action if they don't on the basis that they are discriminating against workers who have previously been in dispute with the company. Unite really ought to have a good chat with their legal team. Quite when this will get to court is unknown. I believe Unite are supposed to have sent papers to the court,which gives BA several weeks in which to prepare an inital response, Then the case needs to be listed ... unlikely to be heard this year. Are Unite going to hold out till next spring for a possible first hearing ? We could be two years down the track from the initial removal before this is finally resolved. Are BASSA going to remain in dispute that long ? Bear in mind that whilst this little ruckus continues, BA won't talk about pay, allowances or working conditions, so crew will be stuck with a pay freeze for the duration. Except of course the non union folk plus Mixed fleet. Are cabin crew going to be happy with that situation ? How many will have left through natural wastage ? How many will leave simply because they find that they can't afford to take the financial penalty of commutting without staff travel ? They won't get any compensation.
Final thought. Why is it that Unite have only just decided that removing staff travel from strikers is 'punishment' when BA has done this several times previously and the union has not moved a muscle ?