BA Strike - Your Thoughts & Questions IV

[GrahamO]

Litebulbs

Thank you.

Unite will be calling the action if the ballot returns a yes. They will be liable, so it will affect me as a member if BA can sue for loss. This is why I reasonably expect that they have done their homework too.

I concur that it is reasonable to expect the homework to have been done - a member should question if this does not appear to be the case. I am confident that UNITE certainly will have taken advice although from reading the thread(s) this would not to have been a natural action for the BASSA leadership.

But as you rightly suggest we will see.

My personal view is that BA will not sack anyone, as they will be able to run a near complete service, but will offer revised contracts on 90 day notice. Nor will they come after UNITE for the money, but they will use it as leverage. For all the bluster, as we know from his pronouncements, Len is not 100% in agreement with BASSA and BA could probably do business with him if BASSA were not around.

People taking strike action which they believe is protected, is an easy choice for a Mum or Dad with family responsibilities, but turning down a 90 day "take it or leave it" ultimatum is much harder to ignore, especially when we know that even if they were subsequently found to have been unfairly dismissed, that they will not get their job back.

It remains to be seen however if alleged strikers being given such an ultimatum, take independent advise or just rely on BASSA. In my last two companies where unions were involved in mass headcount reductions, the union paid for independent advice for members and did not offer 'a barrack-room legal opinion' themselves.

And that as far as the recruitment market goes, being ex-BA of many years standing is not an advantage, its an albatross (and I say this as a recruiter).

I have never been in a union and have never needed to be in one. My father was a union convener in the CPSA for 30 years and we both wish that the BA Cabin crew had better representation as IMO you are all being sadly let down by your chosen representatives.