When a company knows it is dealing with an especially litigious minded workforce or militant union (or any workforce in which rules must be applied consistently and within legal limits like requiring written proof, etc.), any manager knows that the minute you break your own rules and guidelines, no matter how valid the reason, you are left open to problems.
baggersup, I do understand. But LGW has always been the total opposite. I was naive in thinking that maybe the company appreciated our hard work. They don't. I know that now. I suppose I should have realised that when whilst operating one of the first LCY-JFK flights, a route we were so proud of getting, a very high up member of the leadership team had to ask me what base we were from. He didn't have a clue. We honestly thought we had got the route because we were good, reliable and would make it work. I now think we got it because we were cheap. That was a real slap in the face! In fact, sometimes I wonder if secretly, they actually have more respect for our LHR colleagues for at least having the guts and belief, however misguided, to make a stand whilst seeing us at LGW as the company doormat.
Who knows. I don't know what any of the leadership team are thinking and never will. I appreciate the position they are in but I feel the same as Betty girl. The pride has gone. I will carry on, doing my best for our passengers but it's out of personal pride and a love of the job itself rather than any pride or loyalty for the company.
Please don't think I am looking for a sympathy vote here. I'm not. I consider myself lucky to have a job at all, let alone one I actually like in these troubled times. But Diplome asked why some of us feel unappreciated by BA and I'm trying to be as honest as I can.
Saying all of that, even knowing what I know now and feeling as I do now, I still wouldn't have gone out on strike. The reasons behind it were fundamentally flawed and my opinion on that and the antics of BASSA haven't changed in any way.