MohitoMaster. In response to your various points.
'1) BASSA’s Branch Secretary has been sacked, the director of all BASSA communications has been sacked, the Treasurer is on a charge of gross misconduct, the rep in charge of all dispute related suspensions has been suspended and charged with gross misconduct, another key rep is facing a charge of gross misconduct and the Convener, the Deputy Convener and the Chairman all still face disciplinary charges.'
BASSA's branch secretary was sacked for failing to work normally. He was rostered and decided that he would not turn in for work. He was treated the same way that any other BA employee would have been in these circumstances. You might like to refresh your memory on the reasons for the other dismissals whilst you are about it. If the individuals concerned were entirely blameless, why have they not taken BA to an Employment Tribunal for unfair dismissal ? Oh, sorry, the branch sec did and was told that his case didn't hold water. If BASSA representatives behave in a manner that is in clear breach of their terms and conditions of employment, they can expect to be dealt with in this manner.
'2) There have been sixty crew suspensions and fifteen dismissals for dispute related 'offences' all run by a separate 'Backing BA' team and conducted in rooms specifically in use for 'Backing BA', Asset Protection have been photographed sitting outside crews houses and are actively monitoring all websites mentioning the dispute. Crew are afraid to speak to anyone for fear of being reported and other departments and all levels of management are being actively encouraged to report crew.'
No. There have been suspensions becuase the individual's concerned have either had colleagues state that they have been bullied or harrassed by them, or there has been the suggestion that their behaviour has been inappropriate. The standard practice in these circumstances is to suspend the individual on full basic pay until the matter has been fully investigated and any appropriate action taken.
You are of course aware that all internet traffic on the BA network is monitored, not by Asset Protection, but by IT Security.
I presume you have first hand proof that the handful of Asset Protect staff (They are a very small department numbering less than 10) have been photographing cabin crew ? That is, you have photographic evidence of this behaviour, or have been able to challeng the individuals concerned and been able to determine that they are BA employees working in this department ?? If not then I suggest that this is just another bit of galley gossip with no foundation in the truth.
I'm quite prepared to believe that someone in BA is monitoring what is being written on forums about the dispute, however, much of what is written is under pseudonyms. IP addresses may be logged, but ISPs are not of a mind to release such information without a good reason, like a court order. There's a little thing called the Data Protection Act that kinda inhibits such behaviour.
'3) Various well known court cases and injunctions have been instigated against Unite.'
And in all bar one instance, the courts have deemed that Unite have acted illegally - do you think that unions should be able to operate outside the law ??
'4) Money was no object, even the incredibly expensive wet leasing of aircraft, dispersal of revenue to other carriers. The full weight of the corporate machine was behind the 'Backing BA' agenda, no matter what the cost, alternate staff were drafted in from around the globe (VCC’s), all to directly undermine lawful industrial action.'
The vast majority of VCC's have been your colleagues form other departments. Now let's think about this one a bit. Why do you think that so many BA staff volunteered to help ? They weren't being hosed down with buckets of cash. The company didn't hold a gun to anyone's head. These were willing volunteers. The guy who sits in the next desk to me was one of them. A high proportion are union members. Could it possibly be that we reckoned that BASSA were way out of line ? Could it be that we have all made sacrifices over the past few years and saw BASSA lining up to trash the efforts we had made ? BASSA, who had not given up anything and steadfastly refused to negotiate (show of hands ring bells ???) BASSA who jumped for joy and declared '12 Days of Christmas strikes'
'5) The PCCC was created & openly encouraged.'
By cabin crew who had decided that Unite was as much use as a chocolate teapot. BA management would love to deal with a group representing cabin crew who behaved in an adult, rational and businesslike manner - that rules out the current BASSA leadership.
'6) The commissioning of reports, employment of Union busters and the engagement of the American multi-national Baker McKenzie, the second largest law firm in the world as their legal advisors.'
Um... can you prove unequivocally that these people have been hired to provide plans for BA to break unions ? Because unless you can I suggest that your statements are total claptrap. BA employs a number of consultancies from time to time. One of these has been Accenture, who are renowned for providing plans for outsourcing. Does that mean that BA is going to outsource all it's service parts ? No. Because the report that Accenture produced at that time was about streamlining the IT operation.
It is becoming abundantly clear that BASSA are not fit for purpose. They are unable to keep adequate records of their membership. They are unwilling, or unable to consult with their total membership (not the 10% who are able to attend mass meetings) on the direction they should be taking. The leadership have demonstrated their ineptitude in understanding the legal aspects of strike action, as highlighted by the chairperson's advice to members who were leaving the company last year that they were entitled to vote in the strike ballot. I suggest that if BASSA were fit for purpose, then they would have maintained their membership numbers during this dispute. The plain fact that they have lost in excess of 15% of the membership in the space of eight months suggests otherwise. People do not leave unions for no good reason. The uphill task the branch now faces is that it has been discredited in the eyes of many. The best thing that Unite could do is to set up a new branch and close down BASSA.