Jun 22nd, 2011 by admin
92%
This two-year chapter in our lives started with a 92% “yes” vote and it probably is only fitting that it will also close with a 92% yes vote.
In between there have been good times and bad, but as a community we have survived, we stood up when it mattered the most, were stood together and most are still here. Those who have fallen will now have a chance to attain justice - our thoughts remain with them.
None of us will ever forget the spirit of camaraderie and friendship that we all felt at Bedfont, the faces of those who were there will stay with is all for the rest of our lives. We showed the world that no matter what they threw at us, we would remain strong - and we did. Reaching a settlement is a sign of strength not weakness, it shows an ability to change and be able to do business; BASSA has shown we are brave enough to know when to fight but we are also intelligent enough to know when to stop.
Talking about doing the right thing is easy, doing the right thing never is. The sacrifices made by every XXXXer is humbling and at the same time inspiring. That must never be forgotten.
For those that turned their backs and went to work, you missed out on a lot and gained very little; in the end you kept your staff travel for a year when we lost ours, but you know what? You lost a lot of friends and self-respect in doing so. Those two irreplaceable commodities won’t return for a very long time.
Was it all worth it? For those of us brave enough to vote “yes” every single time it mattered. Hell yes! And if we had to do it all over again, we would.
We are now entering a new and different chapter of our lives; most can now begin to slowly put the dispute behind them. It won’t be forgotten easily and there will be lots of work to do to ensure justice, but a new chapter has begun and this will hopefully be a better one. It will be changed, with a new plot and new characters, but in the end it may not be worse, only different. Everything has to start somewhere and this is the moment for that to happen.
We hope this will be a new beginning for all who work for British Airways, a genuine chance to put the past behind us and build a better way of doing business. It will not be plain sailing, but it is a challenge we are ready and willing to accept.
So tonight, breathe a sigh of release, raise a glass to your fellow XXXXers and those colleagues whose future remains undecided, pick up the threads of your lives and congratulate yourselves on being not only the best cabin crew in the world but also the best of people.
Cheers to you all, every single one of you..........