Ancient Observer; You are quite right, there is a bigger picture here I think. The regulator assessed that the amount of money Lufthansa was prepared to put in would not have given the pension long term security, although financial advisors probably believed it would have. If either Lufthansa or IAG were to put any more money into the pot there would have been no IAG/DLH deal so no jobs. (Or would Branson have bought it?????).
So in essence we had sacrificed our pension scheme to save the deal, all done without our knowledge. So the big boys have got away with less than they should have done after promises to maintain the scheme only a short time ago. There must be politics at play here in order for IAG to take most of the slots instead of an outright insolvency of BMI. What would have happened to the slots then I really don't know, but a missed once in a lifetime opportunity for BA would have been lost. The PPF probably agreed to take it on now in case it faced a bigger liability if it had to take the pension scheme on in the future perhaps. Now in Sunday's paper it says the regulator is throwing a lifeline to schemes by being 'more pragmatic' - how bizarre! a turn of coincidence perhaps or a direct result of this case which is appearing in newspapers. Will or would it have affected this outcome now who knows. Is Balpa taking note of this and talking who knows.
What I do know and hope you understand is the utter frustration about being told hardly anything about our T's & C's and final pension outcome to date we are all in a state of limbo at the moment.
I will only comment about the lack of interaction of the BA & BMI cc's by saying the talks were probably started too early because BA management could not enter the arena until they actually owned us and naturally I guess the CC would have liked to have found out their views in order to correctly represent us. That is when everyone should have sat around the table in my view. Hindsight a wonderful thing, they are only pilot reps for goodness sake, not professional negotiators. Does Balpa itself actually figure in this and give advice I wonder, or are they hiding in the trenches while a difficult battle is being fought? coming out when all the flak is over. These are NOT accusations, just questions really.
I have no information other than my perceptions by reading news articles and the internet for clues including these forums.
Super Stall - I am only lashing out at the one or two who append every thread with a told you so attitude. I am not a rep but I can only try and understand their position and they must have so much going on from all sides that life must be very difficult for them at the moment, if they screwed up so be it. At least they did their level best committing all their spare time I would think. With all the foregoing I am in no mood to sit here and let people get away with a smug told you so attitude.
P.S. Thank you for your kind words regarding the pension. (I do not mean that sarcastically) Cheers!
Last edited by MrBenip; 23rd Apr 2012 at 17:23.