BA cabin crew prepare for mass meeting|14May11|Socialist Worker
Same article below:
Cabin crew at British Airways (BA) were set to attend a mass meeting on Thursday of this week to finally hear about their Unite union’s discussions with BA bosses.
Crew are engaged in a long‑running dispute over attacks on jobs, pay, conditions and their union.
Unite has already begun to compromise on key issues.
It is demanding “the immediate cessation of actions taken against elected representatives of cabin crew, including victimisation, intimidation and exclusion”.
It should be demanding the immediate reinstatement of all crew who have been sacked or suspended during the dispute.
Unite also opposes “the introduction of mixed fleet on different terms and conditions without agreement with the union”.
But the mixed fleet is a separate crew, employed on lower wages and worse conditions than other fleets.
Ultimately it will mean BA can drive down pay and conditions across the workforce.
The union should oppose it outright.
Any deal must reinstate all sacked or suspended crew and workers’ staff travel concessions.
It must end the mixed fleet.
But it should also reverse the job cuts that former boss Willie Walsh imposed in November 2009.
Any compromise will give BA bosses the green light to push further attacks.
Crew have shown their willingness to fight in five ballots. Unite has until midnight this Sunday to call strike dates.
If there is a shoddy deal on Thursday, workers must demand that Unite call a series of strikes that can force BA bosses to retreat.