The moment that DH says "Please be assured that there currently is no need for concern........" then any sensible person would realise immediately that there should be great cause for concern. You don't hear BA making any statements like that because they don't need to - any rational person knows that BA is in charge.
After all the financial cost and personal pain experienced by people involved with BA's operations, that have been caused by BASSA's behaviour over the past 2 years (and prior), I really can't see BA (KW) making it easy for BASSA by letting them off the hook and settling at this time. BA would just be allowing DH and others to remain in power, claim a glorious victory, and repeat the entire charade again and again upon any future whim.
It may be that KW leaves the current offer on the table thus keeping it on record how BA have continued to be reasonable and negotiate in good faith while realising that BASSA will never agree to the offer. Remember that the current offer already has partial ST concessions made by BA last time on the agreement it would be presented to the BASSA members upon which Unite then reneged. BA would be more than justified in taking back those ST and any other concessions made and starting the negotiation over again from where they were prior to the last round should it wish.
No, this is BA's and all its backers' moment of glory where, after a long road, while showing extreme and mature patience in the face of thuggish and childish behaviour, it now has a chance to make the BASSA/Unite leaders squirm and reveal to their loyal members the lies, deceit and falsehoods expressed by them right-up to the very end. The more that DH spills his 'everything is fine and we're in control' messages the harder he will fall when the disappointment following the truth that will emerge within the next 12 days is felt.
As LD12986 says, I'd love to be a "fly on the wall" when KW's best offer falls well short of DH's power hungry aspirations and LM explains to DH he can't have his strike particularly after DH has put it out to his faithful that "LEN HAS STATED THAT HE WILL NOT HESITATE TO ANNOUNCE STRIKE DATES, IF REQUIRED." The fact that he feels the need to capitalise the words says much for his real internal feelings of insecurity in this regard let alone the need to have to say it in the first place. Remember that D (I'll strike and strike and stike until I'm sick) H has been wanting his next strike since 10.10.10.10......... and even before then.
If BA were to capitulate by making yet further concessions and settle at this stage then they would be in a worse position regarding DH & BASSA than ever before. They would throw away a very large part of the potential gains they could have made and it makes no sense whatsoever after the patience shown and the efforts that everyone backing BA has expended in the face of the BASSA inspired adversity.
Indeed, having come so far, BA would be doing itself and its supporters a severe injustice if it were not to let this play out until the strike dates have to be announced thus allowing Unite/BASSA to decide the next move. If they don't announce a strike they will look like incompetent fools (yet again), if they do announce a strike then BA has a plethora of preplanned, both defensive and net-tightening, options with which it will be only too keen and ready to respond.
Last edited by AV Flyer; 10th Apr 2011 at 12:10.