BA Pilots do not have a right to strike over the terms and conditions or the expansion plans of another subsiduary of the IAG umbrella. To do so would be secondary action thus illegal.
To allow the formation of a secondary company within LHR would be mainline suicide. IAG, not BA, IAG own the slots out of Heathrow and thus can allocate them how they will. If 'BA Express' were to be formed then expansion, new routes and slot pairs would be fed to them. The structures, back office work and marketing would all be BA with a lower delivery cost. The LHR mainline would wither. As a business excercise returning profitability to the shareholders it is an enticing future. IAG could market, paint and fly the aircraft as 'British Airways' as the Scope clause offers no protection for aircraft operated outside of the 'BA owned and operated' banner.
The transition would be difficult and, whatever Count Neimeyer wishes to spout, the working relationship between BALPA BACC and the company has allowed us an opportunity to integrate the two even if this were, in the short term, to be more expensive to the company. We are all required to adapt in order to survive in these new economic conditions, conditions that I don't see changing for a long time.
There is no comparison, once again, between this and the CC dispute as BACC are negotiating fully and presenting all and every fact to the pilot membership. The meetings that are taking place between the pilots and the management are open, full and frank. The lines of communication are honest and brutally open. The decisions will be made by the pilot workforce, not by the company council. We, as a professional body, are prepared to give up something to achieve a sustainable future for both those of us currently employed and those future employees. Something that BASSA could never claim. It was often spouted on the BASSA forum that the Pilots time would come and I always replied that I was certain it would. Now that we have challenges ahead we will deal with them as we always have, through negotiation.
If the merger takes place and the fleets are combined then the future looks steady and fulfilling in Mainline. If not then the medium term future for SH looks quite rocky and the long term for LH also. As I will e kicking it back in the Maldives drinking cocktails by then I really don't care but those of you looking to join now should dig a little deeper before trying to cajole the current employees into strike action. It is ill concieved and without basis.
As always, time will tell.