Miss M.
The reason that I, like Ottergirl, Tiramasu etc. "backed BA" is that they were ultimately the far more credible party. Most of BASSA's take on the situation was, with only a little thought, clearly just a load of wild speculation, scaremongering and deliberate misinformation.
Don't forget, MissM if you are pre 1997, you are not supposed to be here now. Remember what BASSA said about the new entrant starter rates then? I'll remind you. "In ten years time, they'll be in the majority and the company will be able to do what they want with you, because those on the new pay won't support you." The same doom mongering as they used for Mid Fleet and what happened to that.
It would take breathtaking ignorance, or denial, to think that there was NOT a serious problem, long term, with our overall package of pay and terms and conditions (though BASSA of course tried to say otherwise). The only issue was how to deal with it. Make the savings from SIGNIFICANT changes to legacy fleets, or employ NEW people, not only on lower pay, but also with far less restricted rostering.
After the complete intransigence of BASSA in the dispute of 2007, BA had no confidence in acheiving it through the former, so Operation Columbus was born.
We probably could have avoided New Fleet, if we'd had an honest, intelligent, business minded, sane union, but we didn't, so people like me, who understood the problem MY company faced (the company that still needs to be around in ten years to pay MY pension) had to make a decision whether to back BA, or back a union that was filling peoples heads with silly nonsense like "you'll all be sat at home with no work."
Even you, MissM regurgitated that the other day. Don't you get it? It would be financial madness for BA to do that. They want MORE work out of you , not less. Being sat at home with no work is not going to force the likes of me onto Mixed Fleet OR to leave the company. Frankly, if I could sit at home on my basic (and with my pension paid) and not do anything for it, great, where can I sign up for that deal? Little bit of paintaing and decorating 3 days a week to top up the loss of allowances. Fantastic, part time working for full time pay! Not many people wouldn't sign up for that.
Not going to happen though is it? WE will, as the years go on, go to fewer destinations, but we'll just go to them more often. Less variety, not less work.
THAT's the issue MissM, we backed BA, because we thought BASSA was talking a lot of clap trap and has done for many years. We have long memories. It's a shame you don't.