Lizanne Malone's reply to Amicus- an ENORMOUS storm in a tea cup
Just a few facts about the last couple of days. I am in the US having bought a 700 pound tkt to get home for my part time, the meeting was called at short notice, so I could not attend, but was in contact with the BASSA Committee. Duncan is going to Manchester to give a lecture – at the request of the academics - at Salford University tomorrow about our dispute so we can’t always jump in to reply upon demand or be near a computer 24/7.
Tony Woodley and Len McCluskey are 100% behind the BASSA Branch Committee and the decisions taken by The BASSA Committee. I gather Len feels misrepresented by a post on the forum and he has at lunch-time left a message for that person to contact him again.
This whole situation has been brought about by a member of the ex Amicus section spitting their dummy out, because at yesterdays meeting at Unite no one agreed with him. There were less than 40 very brave Amicus members that went on strike and will no doubt go on strike again. We salute them but….
The BASSA Committee are responsible over 7000 that took that brave decision. For your added information, most of the Amicus reps resigned and worked during the strike, make what you want from that. There is very limited experience on the Amicus side. Also as I said before Amicus no longer exist they are all Unite now Some more facts, not one of the Amicus reps that stayed for the dispute have been sacked or suspended and as far as I am aware not one of their members have been disciplined either. So it is all very well shouting the bit about what you stand for when you have nothing to lose or are only responsible for 40 odd strikers. Please be wary of brave rhetoric.
The BASSA committee put out a statement to inform you that we are going back to the company with the four points in Duncan’s blog to see how serious the company are about resolving this dispute. If the company do not respond then we go to ballot simple as that. The 4 points are not to settle the dispute but to test where we stand with BA ie do they want peace or do they want to continue the fight. We are prepared for both options.
This is a trivial storm in a tea cup initiated by someone not prepared to go about things in a sensible calm manner, it is not that important in the greater scheme of things. Please save your anger and energy for the fight ahead and trust BASSA we have not and will not let you down.
Whether you love or hate Unite they are supporting us and are with us for the long haul. We must stick by them for the length of the dispute…. to do otherwise would be absolute suicide. Ripping them apart serves no purpose. The time for recriminations will be afterwards and remember we will soon have a new broom.
The BASSA reps are all flying and dealing with disciplinaries they cannot drop everything to come on here everytime this individual has a hissy fit.
Please calm down , I am very calm with where we are at and so are the rest of the committee and reps.
When decisions have to be made you will all be involved.
I will also talk to Duncan about having a meeting for the members, however this will only happen if we can get derostered.
and
Amicus have not been excluded from any of the meetings, nor will they be, they are very welcome, so that clears that up. As I have said before Amicus and the TGWU have joined to become UNITE. BASSA have always been a Branch of TGWU and continue to be a Branch of UNITE. This in effect means that Amicus no longer exist. BASSA are self funding the ex AMICUS section were not. BASSA have spent 100.000.00 on this dispute Amicus have not spent anything as they are not self funding. The ex Amicus reps have been invited to join BASSA and so far two reps have submitted their applications to do so.
I agree with you they should not have gone public on something that is still being discussed. As I said before this was a temper tantrum. I feel a lack of experience here also.
Not the first and certainly not the last disagreement but that is what happens in highly tense talks.
TW did use the word terrorism in an analogy I am told, not in the context that was stated in the statement from Amicus.
Crew want me to be honest and the posts are honest what can I say. Now that I am off the jet I will be online, the other reps are just to busy with day to day business.
Anyone else coming on here to answer questions would just not be appropriate.
It was also stated to Tony that the reps be at any future meetings that are held with the company and he is in agreement with that. To think that he went into any meetings previously cold is not what happened we were either in the building or in communication with him at all times.
Everyone needs to keep calm and KTF.
So LM bought a £700 ticket home? Why? thought they had their ST back now?
But the biggest mystery is our Dunc giving, at THEIR request, a 'lecture to academics at Salford Uni. Whaaaaaaat!! Whats the lecture on? Perhaps its ' Tomato growing for beginners in the south of England' ( Sorry Mod) But seriously and I truly mean this, I thought I'd heard it all, but this is just laughable. I don't have the time, but perhaps someone could find a link as to what exactly this was really about. I'm truly speechless.
As for the rest of it, I find its once agian 'car crash TV' stuff. As I have mentioned before my only hope for this ALL to totally finish, is for Bassa to implode. Well you just might make my dreams come true at this rate.