BASSA - Latest News REPORT BACK FROM TODAY’S BRANCH Oct 5th, 2009 by admin
At today’s well-attended branch meeting Steve Turner (joint National Officer for CAT) and the BASSA committee reported back on last week’s meeting with BA held at Acas offices in Euston, London. The membership heard how over the 3 days BA did not want to engage in face to face dialogue and how, despite BASSA asking, they did not seem inclined to put any fresh proposals on the table. The only hard fact that emerged was BA announced (through Acas) they intend to save £140million from the crew budget.
BASSA informed BA (again via Acas) that the improving financial situation meant that all previous proposals were now off the table and a blank sheet of paper between us would be a good starting place for fresh negotiations. Sadly BA could not or would not add anything to this blank piece of paper.
Also the membership were told that the Amicus (CC89) side of UNITE, led by Brian Boyd (Steve Turner’s counterpart representing AMICUS interest) has agreed in principle to finding the £140m... much to our dismay. The committee then reported back how BA were now back to their old tricks of playing one union off against another and how the political situation within the Amicus section of UNITE could seriously undermine any potential BASSA ballot on industrial action. The membership were very angry, especially as CC89 now have so few members within BA (est 500-700) and that the "tail should not be wagging the dog".
With all this in mind three proposals were made from the floor and all accepted by 100% of those present.
1.Because of concerns over Brian Boyd using UNITE’s money to publish letters criticising our own union BASSA, alongside the fact that he has agreed in writing to accept the target of saving £140m, we call upon Tony Woodley to now remove him from the talks and that this issue is also dealt with by the NEC (a governing committee within UNITE).
2.It is unacceptable to again use our money to fund representatives who are undermining the interests and motions passed by this branch. Specifically the use of a separate consultative ballot.
3.The T&G UNITE section have total control of any ballot of industrial action within BA and if this does not happen the AMICUS section is specifically excluded from any future branch of BASSA 1/2000 for industrial action.
After a unanimous show of hands it was reported back how one of the AMICUS reps taking part in the talks was taking VR in 3 weeks and how unethical it was for him to be part of a negotiating team involved in the futures of remaining crew. It was also relayed back that this same rep had asked BA to initiate a bullying and harassment investigation against many of the committee for requesting that he not participate in the talks and how BA had now indeed opened a formal procedure against certain named BASSA representatives.
The committee apologised to the floor for "the political nature" of the report back but stressed it was vital that the membership knew just what was going on backstage and, despite BASSA on many occasions holding out the hands of friendship to CC89 reps, how BA and AMICUS leadership seem determined to exploit the divides of the last 20 years.
One member then said that in her opinion BASSA should now give BA absolutely nothing by way of savings and we should all prepare for inevitable industrial action. Needless to say the speaker got the biggest cheer of the meeting and a standing ovation.
This was from a BASSA newsletter