Originally Posted by
studi
FH,
agree, the financial discussion doesn't belong in this thread. So sent you also a PM.
Now back to the topic.
Why does the scope clause not apply to a BA Express under IAG? Does the scope clause not protect the BA brand? BA Express would sure be regarded a BA brand. At least that is how it works in our scope clause.
It still fail to understand following issues: Where would BA pilots in future come from to replace retirements? Would they just shrink longhaul in the long run? Or let BA Express fly the longhaul? Why would BA Express pilots not be able to strike for BA A scales?
MrBunker, you might turn and twist it as you want, at the end, you harm yourself by letting the unity more down in your workgroup. But I guess the sense of fairness and sticking together is something which has been lost in the anglosachsen type of capitalism. Goes together with the realsisation that the UK and the US wanna continue with the financial party at all cost in the long run. But again, that is another discussion.
Take it how you will. I'm not turning or twisting. Simply telling you how I (and on our private forum, many others) view this. You seem to labour under the illusion that if we all say no that BA/IAG will bend to our collective will and instate all new joiners on our current terms and conditions.
You've been told repeatedly that this isn't the choice on the table.
If we say no to this, BA have no interest in negotiating, BMI will come under the IAG umbrella (not BA's) and will likely be branded and run as BA but with a wholly separate AOC. To the best of my knowledge, this is not something we can legally strike over in this country. It's just a holding company, headquartered in Spain, buying another company to add to the portfolio.
Rest assured, all new joiners from the hold pool and the FPP will join this new company that looks like BA, flies like BA, but isn't BA. I'm willing to wager that the conditions offered by this company will be far, far worse than the 34 pay points currently on offer. I'm also willing to wager that, aside from anyone with a firm signed contract in their hand, that those in the hold pool will be told that thanks, BA are no longer recruiting and that you're very generously being transferred to the NewBA hold pool. Oh and here's the terms.......
You seem to miss the fundamental basis to this issue. None of us would have this in an ideal world. But, and here's the rub, the world isn't ideal. IAG can do this because, right now, the law supports them. That's why there's no negotiation. As for your question re retirement replacements, we wouldn't need them with a separate BA branded airline. As sufficient legacy BA pilots retired, another aircraft and another route would transfer to NewBA. Legally there is not one single thing we can do about this. Not one. This may be different in Germany, I don't profess to know the law regarding such machinations in your country.
This isn't about a loss of sense of fairness and sticking together. Your fundamental error in your argument here is to assume that by saying no, we will draw BA/IAG back to the table with an offer to retain the status quo. I've been in BA long enough to know that doesn't happen, even less so with the way we're now incorporated with the IAG and it's OpCos structure.
You can dress it up as a lack of fairness and solidarity if you wish. I can assure you it's a lot more complex than some antiquated trades-unionist battle cry. I wish it were different but as others have said on here we are being given one choice and one choice alone.
Do we integrate BMI on the terms presented by IAG or do we not? There is no middle ground and there is no scope for negotiation, industrial action.
IAG have read the legal landscape well and structured their entire new organisation to take advantage of the same. There's a reason we didn't tread the AF/KLM path when we merged with IB. This is why - it allows an unprecedented amount of industrial freedom for the employer. Don't have to like it (I surely don't) but it is what it is and banging the drum about solidarity won't change a single thing. Call that twist and spin if you will but you're not living the harsh realities of that structure.
PS Calling the "new" airline BA express as many seem wont to do is leading to an assumption that it would be some sort of LoCo flying short haul. It doesn't have to be. It can take delivery of every new A380, 787 and all aircraft beyond. To all intents and purposes, bar the internal costs (which would assuredly be lower) and structure, it would be BA. But without any of us current stakeholders having a say in it.