Brendan Barber
General Secretary TUC
Congress House
Great Russell Street
London
WC1B 3LS
15 October 2010
Dear Brendan
Offer to reach agreement
Further to your request during previous discussions and the subsequent new offer to reach agreement I want to be clear about the company’s position on travel concessions.
I am restoring the non contractual and discretionary ID90 travel discount facility with immediate effect, with a reset joining date of 21 October 2010 for those who took industrial action during March-June of this year.
I am pleased to confirm that I will recommend to the BA Main Board to reinstate remaining staff travel concessions under the following circumstances.
1. Acceptance and implementation of the agreement
Obviously the offer made today needs to be agreed and ratified by a ballot of all members and then implemented. All parts of the union, Unite, BASSA and Amicus, must recommend acceptance.
2. Behaviours
A key element of the agreement is the need for both parties to conduct industrial relations differently from today. Industrial relations in this business needs to be more positive, respectful, open and understanding to the needs of the company and its managers, as well as its employees.
In line with the spirit of the agreement, communications issued by Unite and its branches must be more balanced and measured than they have been. The company will continue to ensure that its communications are balanced and objective.
Union representatives need to work positively and in good faith with the company to resolve conduct, performance, attendance and grievance matters in a reasonable timescale and without undue delay.
3. Litigation
Unite will not directly or indirectly commence, continue to pursue, fund or otherwise support any litigation against the company arising in relation to it’s calls for strike action or the strike action which it’s members took in December 2009, and/or March, May and June 2010. Details of the specific claims are included in the letter dated 15th October between British Airways Legal Dept and OH Parsons acting on behalf of Unite.
On this basis, I will recommend to the BA Main Board to authorise the granting of the remaining non-contractual staff travel concessions to those crew who no longer enjoy the concessions as detailed below:-
• Restoration at the beginning of the Staff Travel year 01 April 2013, for all non-contractual and discretionary service and status related travel facilities including free ticket eligibility and recognition of service in the operation of all tickets including the ID90 facility.
Finally, and as you know, I must be clear that whilst I intend to proceed on the basis set out in this letter, it is not a binding contract and nothing in it does, or is intended to, alter the non-contractual nature of staff travel concessions.
I hope you find this helpful and I look forward to the successful implementation of the agreement.
Yours sincerely
Willie Walsh
Chief Executive Officer
Smart move to return staff travel, an olive branch I feel that should have been extended some time ago.