Originally Posted by
Count Niemantznarr
What can be guaranteed Blu Riband, is the fact that BA pilots will show the usual appalling self-intererst, as they did when hundreds of them volunteered to fly as cabin crew. I am very surprised they haven't been flying Iberia jets.
Why are BMI flight crew being treated differently to other DEP's that have been recruited in the last 12 months?
It is discrimination and opportunism by Walsh who, as he did with the cabin crew, loves to play the divide and conquer game.
Point of order. BMI are being treated "differently" as you put it because a) TUPE will apply if they are merged with BA and b) most, if not all, BMI pilots under same will join on more money than a pay point 1 DEP would into BA. They won't be taking a pay cut and it will cost BA more than 300 DEPs. But we want the slots more than anything as a business I suspect so it's a cost worth bearing.
Re the CC dispute the difference is we recognise the value of having the BMI pilots on the same master seniority list as ourselves and thus still part of the same employee group for bidding and promotion. That option was there for the CC but you/they weren't prepared to make the concessions required to have that. We are being offered that option now and, if the straw polls are anything to go by, we will take it and not condemn ourselves to withering on the vine as per the CC dispute.
PS It's not discrimination. I know it's a favourite word in some parts but it's not. It's a change of terms and conditions. If it were discrimination to offer new recruitment terms we'd still be on flying boat contracts. Of course, however, it is opportunism. WW has an opportunity to extract a price for something we deem valuable. He's a businessman. Do I like the change? No. Would I do the same if I were him, bearing in mind his terms of reference are to maximise shareholder value and profitability? I would as he does, because it's his job. As morally uncomfortable as you or I may consider that.