MissM
That was a good post (3561) and I agree with you on most of your points.
However, people do seem to forget that BASSA reps actively encouraged the acceleration of Mixed Fleet in their last offer to the company - even suggesting that BA recruit 700 crew to go straight onto MF! Instead of working with the "losing a crew member" issue, which made no difference to our pay, they seemed to decide that anything would be better than that. So they recommended a pay cut and to accelerate MF, just to get that crew member back on.
That was when I, having written to them to explain my feelings, decided enough was enough and left BASSA.
You also seem to gloss over the fact that much earlier BASSA claimed their offer would save £173M over 18 months. Just a quick glance shows that claim to be wildly exaggerated and PWC confirmed that it was actually worth 1/3 of the claimed amount. Yet the reps, on the basis of a show of hands of people given that false figure, agreed not to negotiate any more!
I believe what BA imposed on us is far better for us than what BASSA suggested and called the strike for. I also believe most of the points this ballot is about are a direct result of the BASSA reps' failure to negotiate and then instigation of a needless strike over those issues.
BASSA should have agreed to the new crewing levels and the other minor changes (disruption agreement etc), saving the company the £127M over 18 months. They would then have been in a much stronger position to negotiate over MF: They should have accepted the Monthly Travel Payment (more on that in my next post) and fought for us to keep those new crew flying with us. Instead they recommended a pay cut and the acceleration of MF - and how often have I heard "I hope those s***s are the first forced onto MF"?!
Just my thoughts.
M