Betty Girl wrote on the CC thread:
"I will admit that the version that the Union has to sign has bits about not taking BA to court and re-working the way they deal with BA and I think this is the sticking point and NOT what BA is offering us crew as safeguards because they are as good as they have ever been before. I think you will agree that BA have always been a good employer."
From a personal view, adding clauses in the Unite/BA Settlement Agreement to the effect of not taking BA to court in the future, etc. which are not in BA's current Employment Agreement offer seems offensive and unfair and appears to have caused a sticking point as BG has pointed out.
However, it is very important to understand that clauses of this nature are always written into Settlement Agreements between two entities otherwise the Agreement simply cannot happen. There will be similar counter clauses that BA cannot sue Unite in the future either and the clauses will contain language restricting them to those matters that relate to the terms of the Settlement Agreement only. Otherwise, how could two parties be deemed to have agreed to settle if one can sue the other over the very same issues again the next day?
Unfortunately, as has often happened in this dispute, the Union personalises everything and fails to see the bigger corporate picture in these matters. Something that it must learn to develop a more professional skill set over if it is to better represent its members in future - starting with taking down the picture of WW with red eyes on its public website home page!
With a corporate, rather than a personal, understanding of the above I agree with BG that BA's current Employment offer to its employees and further that its Settlement offer to Unite are indeed very good Agreements for all.
AVF
Last edited by AV Flyer; 22nd Jan 2011 at 13:53.