union busting
I am going to take a sideways step here.
I do not believe the dispute is primarily about 'union busting' it is about cost savings and putting the companies fixed/ongoing costs for the future under control so that the airline can actually turn a profit significant enough to attract investors/share holders and also purchase significant new equipment in terms of aircraft, IFE etc. Our 1st class is a shadow of what it should be and the charter airlines, low cost and asian carriers are all with us or beyond us - not like it was when I joined BA and we were so far ahead of the rest (or at least the vast majority of them).
That said all of us that have worked for BA for a number of years know that the Cabin Crew unions (almost exclusively BASSA) have been paramount in resiting any progress the company want to make. Anything that has been tried to be achieved, either long term or operationally on the day to allow us to adapt to a fluid situation has been denied by BASSA. Managers can't manage, Captains can't be 'The Captain', Dispatchers can't dispatch, Supervisors can't supervise all because BASSA have ruled with an iron fist - many, many crew will not do anything to help the comapny or the situation unless BASSA agree it first. Those that do, get harranged by the unions reps afterwards. How can any company operate like this is the modern world.
If Union Busting is on the agenda, then who is to blame and who in the company apart from cabin crew and those with left wing political agendas would care?
I am 100% firmly behind BA 'busting' the current CC union that they have tried to work with for so many years. Unfortunatley in these days of political correctness public figures are not allowed to speak the truth that is why the CEO of any company would always have to deny this. I have always believed that whatever cost savings are agreed (or not agreed) to this time with CC that unless BASSA are broken, then any progress the company needs to make will be limited. You simply cannot run a business with such an arrogant union with such power, power that has most certainly corrupted over the years.
To succeed as a company and therefore as departments and individuals we need to be dynamic and change quickly with the times. The days of saying no, no, never have to end because as we waste time and lose money arguing with CC unions all are competitors go sailing by with our (ex) customers on board :-(
If that what it takes ( nd I am 100% in belief that it does) then bust that union and count on my (and many others) support!
Lets then hope that a modern union that can negotiate can then take its place and protect our workers rights whilst balancing the needs of the business so that we have a profitable business with jobs that are still better than most in any other UK airline.