This takes the biscuit even for BASSA;
On Friday BA will announce interim results which will show that the airline has moved into profit. It is expected that we will have a profit of around £60m for the half year so far. This includes all the costs of the volcano, plus the cabin crew dispute, estimated at over £200m in direct costs, plus well over £1bn lost in forward bookings.
me:Yes it also includes the £300m odd in cost savings the company has managed to NEGOTIATE with their suppliers and employees.
Our union always said that temporary measures were needed for a temporary problem.
me:Which is why you are where you are. The BASSA reps certainly can't count e.g £172m in savings turn out to be £52m.
Walsh insisted that there had been "structural change" and that the airline would never aghain be profitable without major concessions from employees on pay and conditons.
me:Correct and why your staff group will be brought back down to earth FAST. Like the rest of us.
Less than 18 months ago, Walsh stated that BA "was in a fight for survival" and "had only six months to survive".
In only July of last year Walsh said he was worried that BA's front-of-cabin traffic may never "get back to previous volumes'' – or that by the time it does, BA will be on its knees. Such traffic fell by 17 per cent in May and April 2009 and Walsh said he saw no signs of recovery.
Walsh sees no sign of recovery. Walsh sees no sign of recovery. Repeat as necessary..........How wrong can someone in his position be in such a short time?
Quite simply Walsh has attempted to use a downturn to screw his workforce and now it has backfired.
me:No one feels "screwed" despite most groups working for free. the only one's that feel "screwed" are the ones that are yet to put their hand in their pockets and instead have placed their heads in the sand.
BA's underlying financial health is so robust, that it couldn't help making a small operating profit in the third quarter of last year!
me: See above. The airline has turned around because of the contribution made by the rest of us and a lucky recovery in the economy (fragile as it is). Double dip is not some sort of sex game my friend.
Walsh is guilty of talking our airline down. He has depressed the share price by his downbeat comments, which are no more than insider trading in another form. QC John Hendy accused Walsh and BA in the recent High Court action, over the airline deliberately nad artificially enhancing the downturn it knew was coming, by not carrying over profit "from the peak year of 2007-08".
me: "Carrying over profit"? Hendy QC is not an accountant and has little appreciation of how a business works. His carrying over comment is utter rubbish but plays well to the socialist mindset. The BA share price has supported Walsh throughout.
How must those staff who worked for a month for free now feel?
me: Good thanks
They have been taken for mugs.
me: No that's you.
How stupid they look now, with their cheer leading morons on PPRuNe still trying to save face over the jusitifcation for their actions. What were those "books" that BALPA saw showing BA in such a dire financial position?
me: Books your reps couldn't understand so chose not to bother. Very mature. Does anyone think Duncan et al have any intelligence or any wisdom to take a good deal when one's offered?
How inaccurate those figures now appear to be. Who in BALPA is going to take responsibility for leading its members up the garden path, volunteering pay cuts and whipping up anti cabin crew sentiment?
me: The financial state of the airline was beyond discussion. £930mil profit changed within a year to £400mil loss. That's the swing that was risking all our futures. If other departments "hate" cabin crew strikers it's entirely the fault of the union and it's followers. You have NO support within the airline or outside it.
Where is the Airbus Captain? He has some explaining to do.
me: Probably working on his libel case against your disgraceful union. I hope you have large coffers.
Walsh is "entirely responsible" for his actions which has caused BA to lose so much money, over an unnecessary confrontation with his front line staff.
me: Some of his malignant front line staff. Should have been done 10 years ago as he recently said.
Don't forget BA wanted £140m in savings.....that was NOT the difference between the two sides which was closer to £10m.
me: Still short though hey? A target is a target.
So what now? Revenge is a dish best served cold. Reject the latest proposal.
me: Revenge hey? Enjoy your P45 and working in the real world.The end is nigh.