The legacy at BA as at Aer Lingus, is a company racked with industrial relations problems
Racked? Not really, only one, the one BASSA claim to be within a grasp of 'winning'. A somewhat optimistic view considering they are only gaining back what they lost two years ago and the company still has its cost savings in hand. Crawling back with its IA tail between its legs might be a better analogy.
as Aer Lingus pilots did not get involved in the cabin crew dispute there. In fact quite the opposite, they supported their cabin crew.
Up until the point where the CC Union agreed schedule and rostering changes to accomodate the companies requirement to cost cut. Then, when those rosters were published, threw their toys out of the pram and refused to operate them. Again, would the circumstances have been different and the requests of the company unfair then ALL other departments would have backed BASSA. The demands weren't unreasonable and BASSA were merely being asked to shoulder a fair proportion of the cost cutting. BASSA refused.
Now after spending a fortune flying in VCC's from around the world,
Surely this can't be true? After all the BASSA missives fail to mention all of the other departments who provided the majority of VCC candidates, many from the parent Unite union, and lays the blame for the failure of the action squarely at the door of the Flight Crew. They work at LHR so didn't need to be flown in did they?
hundreds of millions lost in forward bookings
Do you have the figures to support the 'hundreds of millions' claim? Though not. Oddly enough the 'possibility' of more 'crippling' action from BASSA over the Easter break had an immense impact on the forward bookings by not affecting them in the slightest.
BASSA members are ready to strike again if need be, but with the rather more emollient Mr Williams at the helm of BA, a settlement is withing grasp.
Odd that you use the word emollient, I would suggest that it is probably more pertinant that you consider the irritant to have gone away and are attributing a minor success to BASSA that Willie Walsh has been forced upward to take a more responsible role as Kieth Williams's boss. Obviously now as the CEO of the parent company he will have no influence whatsoever in the future proceedings! A settlement seems to involve only giving the petulant child their toys back but retaining the reason for the original, forgotten tantrum. BA will NOT re-instate crew numbers, BA will NOT remove/disband new fleet. BA and IFcE have no need of scape goats, they have achieved the departmental required rationalisation that will save the company millions into the future, a little lost now is of no consequence when the future looks good to the investors.
BASSA members might get their ST back but the original cost savings measures will, now, always be there. Two years of idiocy by BASSA to achieve nothing. Enjoy the victory.