Latest from BASSA, sent to me by a colleague.
Nov 12th, 2010 by admin
"And so this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
A new one just begun"
-John Lennon, “Happy Xmas, War is over”
And so we are, one year after imposition and we are still very much at war with BA. Now the ballot has been “halted” we are back to where we were post Bedfont and have little choice but to initiate another ballot for industrial action as soon as legal issues are settled.
I have spoken to a lot of journalists/reporters over the last few days and they all ask me the million dollar question “what will it take to settle this dispute”? A fair question, which I tend to give 4 answers to.
The strange thing is that all 4 of my key points cost BA not a red cent, so as usual with BA this is not, was not, never has been about costs. It’s about humiliating and battering the workforce into accepting changes to their terms and conditions while along the way smashing the union by sacking, bullying and intimidating the reps using a variety of assistance whether it be the Daily Mail or US union busting companies. Once BA finally accept that they are not going to succeed in destroying us perhaps they also might like to ponder the 4 points below. Perhaps if they hadn’t banished all BASSA reps from the talks we might have got here before. They have to realise there is no point in making sweet talk with Unite or the TUC, BASSA/Amicus are the main bodies they need to talk with and agree with, no matter how much they may hate us.
These then are then just my fundamental thoughts on what would provide the basis of a deal that we would feel more comfortable presenting to you.
Firstly, there must be a complete return of staff travel with all its seniority. To accept a company have the right to punish people who legally withdraw their labour is to accept the end for trade unionism...end off. This punishment has already been in place 7 months now and, for people like Brendan Barber of the TUC to sit back and not address this fundamental attack on rights also undermines his position. (Also there must be a complete removal of any threats to remove staff travel in the future “at their sole discretion”).
Secondly, and I think this is one issue where we are nearly there - a binding and independent ACAS arbitration of all disciplinaries connected to the dispute. I’ll say no more on this for now.
Thirdly, either BA accepting those sick during strike action were genuine and redressing deduction from wages issues or accepting the matter be allowed to progress to the courts.
The removal of threats if a new negotiated facilities agreement cannot be reached within 8 weeks.
There you are in one simple paragraph, 4 no-cost measures which BA can accept which could very well unlock the door and start the beginning of the end. There are obviously other areas of concern but if BA take the above steps that will prove they are looking to genuinely solve this dispute and, in my opinion BASSA would be able to enter meaningful talks with that aim.
Will BA comply?
My gut feeling is No, the ingrain hatred of all things BASSA has rendered them almost incapable. Ever since Day 1 they have been on the offensive. I remember well when Bill Francis and James Ferran arrived in Cabin Services, Lizanne and I, in an effort to start on a positive note, invited the pair out to dinner one Friday evening and booked a table. When they arrived (late) the first thing Bill Francis said was “you can have two hours”. “Oh Dear” I thought, hardly the way to start an evening or lay a foundation on which good relationships could be established. When it soon became obvious, over our 2 hours together, that our waiter knew more about the job of cabin crew than James Ferran, it became obvious that BA were hell bent on pursuing Columbus and destruction of most of the corner stones of our agreement and were putting the people in place to achieve it. There has to be a basic philosophy change from where BA management were then and still are now. Perhaps it is impossible unless we have a change of leadership from their side. Perhaps the trenches have been dug too deep. They of course will say the same about us - we are famously dysfunctional, we can’t agree ever, we are militant Luddites etc etc. They may even believe it. However we have all been democratically elected, are (or in my case) have been crew ourselves for many years and you have continually given us a mandate to carry on doing what we are doing. As I see it they don’t have a mandate unless you count that of an Airbus captain who must forever more always remain nameless.
There I go, I hear BA management saying, “Holley, point scoring again - he can’t resist it”. Sorry it’s hard to keep anger out of all this - I have seen the hurt and despair the BA cabin crew work force are currently going through. I have seen and heard it in my own kitchen. I know crew literally too frightened to leave their rooms down route in case they get into a row with flight deck or VCC. I have heard of crew who won’t speak at their place of work for fear of being accused of bullying and harassment. I have spoken to crew who have been unfairly sacked for next to nothing who are making themselves ill and depressed. I hear of families being torn apart with divorces and life-long friendships broken never to be repaired. I see all around me the considerable stress and pain of a work force genuinely confused why a company who by and large were the best and most profitable should suddenly turn on the largest group of people who have put them there. And for what reason? Bigger profits - bigger bonuses. Yes there is anger, plenty of it - it has been nothing short of madness. But there has to be an end one day presumably, a solution and some steps back taken by both sides especially when it comes down to personal animosities. Are BA with Walsh at the helm big enough? Perhaps they just don’t want to?
I would urge BA to think seriously now, we are at another set of crossroads. Accept it is BASSA - alongside colleagues from AMICUS - who they simply have to do business with. They could start by facilitating reps to attend meetings, so bridges can start to be built or at least the bricks ordered. They could start by looking at my points above. BASSA are big enough to roll up sleeves in a serious effort to make peace but we are also equally prepared to carry on the fight if BA are not.
I'm a non-union member with no access to BASSA forum, the above was sent to me by email.