Before we all get into a heated debate over which jobs we could all do with a few weeks training, would it not be beneficial to return to the topic in hand, namely BA CC Industrial Relations and in particular the recent ballot result ?
On that point. It strikes me (no pun intended) that it is interesting that Len McCluskey was making less strident noises about strike action and in the past few days Unite have been talking more about a work to rule or 'guerilla action'. Not to sure what is meant by the latter term, but it sounds like the branch executive playing fast and loose with the member's interests to me. If the union call a strike but all turn up for work, what does that do for them ? Apart from make them all look like a bunch of charlies. If there is a code word that will be passed around the union membership that signifies 'turn up for work' , what happens when the line of communication breaks down and some members don't get it and fail to report for work ? This is not protecting members, it is putting their livelihoods at risk. The union is obliged to give 7 days notice of any strike action, has 28 days from the ballot result to give notice of any strike action and then only 12 weeks in which to conduct any walk outs. The legal process doesn't prevent them from taking off the cuff action, but such action would be deemed unofficial.
It is high time that Unite looked at these ballot figures and realised that they are now very much in a game of diminishing returns. Better to cut a deal now when you have a slender majority of support from members than to let it roll on and see that support eroded further.
One final thought. I noted that at the BASSA meeting at Kempton, members were urged to re-elect Lizanne Malone to the Unite executive. I thought that Duncan Holley had stated publicly that both he and Lizanne woud be retiring in October this year. So how come she is standing ?? Or was Duncan telling porkies.