Oh mongoose your cup is half full. I will only believe it when I see it. My spirit is so much improved by the addition of wireless in crew rooms however.
Let's bribe the natives with beads and mirrors.
Could you also tell me why it has taken BALPA so long to recognise the corrupt practice of flexicrew? There is no way I will ever be convinced that BALPA has the moral compass to do the honest thing.
Was the last CC in the management pocket? Is the last chairman not off to some other business position within the company? Is the LGW pilot manager not a previous CC member.
If you are all relying on BALPA and the crew council to come riding to the rescue you will have a long wait. USELESS
From BALPA
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) told the Trades Union Congress (TUC) that its support for consideration of a general strike is “not in our name.”
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Commenting, Jim McAuslan, BALPA’s General Secretary, who spoke against the motion this afternoon, said,* ‘BALPA is not afraid of standing up to employers, but today’s motion was not about challenging our employers, it was about challenging the Government.* And that is a political battle which will be won or lost at the ballot box, not through widespread industrial action.*
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‘Now is the time for trade unionists to be secure in the power of our arguments, not misled by arguments of our power.* It’s a time to be cool, not prone to bluster.* Putting aside concerns about the legality of a general strike, and whether people would take part in sufficient numbers, we have to ask, “is this the right thing to do?”.* The answer from BALPA and a number of other unions was a definite no.
*
More from BALPA reference BMI
‘Pilots are not to blame for this closure and have continued to operate professionally and safely with the threat of redundancy looming. But they have been badly let down on many fronts.* Employees are now left as the ones “holding the baby”.
‘Lufthansa has let pilots down by keeping us at arm’s length from would-be buyers, pressing us to accept cuts in pay and conditions with the false hope of a promising future, and even accepting training payments from pilots joining the company earlier this year.
‘The new management is letting pilots down, and although BA always made it clear that bmi baby did not fit into their business plan and would be closed, it has taken an extremely parsimonious approach to redundancy payments, done nowhere near enough to provide people with a future in British Airways itself, and even refused to write off the training bonds provided by new pilots. We have recently met the BA Chief Executive and hope that our description of the plight these pilots are facing may mean a change of stance.
‘And Government has let pilots down. Pilots being made redundant, many mid-career, will find it very difficult to find alternative employment; it is not the sort of job you will find advertised at the Job Centre.* The Government has not lifted one finger to help. BALPA has sought support from Government and made a number of suggestions to Ministers in the Department of Work and Pensions and at Vince Cable’s BIS Department. The response has been poor, with not even an acknowledgment from BIS.
‘But BALPA will not let pilots down and although the airline stops flying today [Sunday] we will continue to challenge British Airways and the Government to up their games using all means – including legal action – at our disposal.* We will also be helping pilots into other jobs and keeping them in touch with industry developments.’* *
It's everyone else's fault.
