As a "new joiner" from 'Terminal 1' I haven't had the delight of experiencing the New world over at T5 for very long, but have been in the industry for a while & have the benefit of witnessing the 'shake up' at BA from an outsider's position.
Now, I don't know the true financial position that they were in, but having been hoodwinked several times over at T1 by a management team I would describe as 'bully boys', (rather than the one here at T5 who I would describe as very capable, but has the option of turning nasty if required to do so) I would, if the occasion presented itself again not be inclined to help the management to do their dirty work for them as happened in the descriptions above. I say this without any animosity to either the cabin crew who felt that they had a grievance, nor to the pilots who I suspect did what they did for what they considered the best of reasons (airline about to go bust).
Some may think that this is thread creep, but considering the pain that the staff at IB are about to endure, they will (hopefully) have a good future ahead of them if it can be handled correctly.
The management will (maybe already are) trying to pit one group of employees against the other. I would resist the temptation to do this, but every employee group also has to demonstrate that they are willing to adapt to the new market conditions.
I have to say that reading this (and other threads concerning the previous industrial strife at BA) cause me to look back at my childhood. I remember the 3 day week, power cuts, pictures of Arthur Scargill on the telly every evening ranting about bringing the government down. I frankly cannot believe some of the attitudes displayed by some on this thread who almost delight in the disruption caused by their intransigence. They really do belong in the 1970s. I don't for one minute believe that you shouldn't try to maintain Ts & Cs hard won as much as possible, but, considering the current financial mess that the country is in (and this is an honest question) what has been given up by the 'legacy' CC in the last 10 years?
I can confirm to those doubters that the pilots have been continually chipped away at wrt their Ts & Cs (and continue to do so)..I know, I am proof of that. This is the reality of the modern private company.
I have night-stopped in a few destinations since being over at T5 so far;
without exception I have never sat in a bar/cafe etc with any CC. This is a completely alien concept to me and if you ask anyone - pilots or cabin crew over from bmi - what on earth happened to any sort of camaraderie between the crews? (and before anybody says "the strike" I am reliably informed that it was no different before the Industrial Action) Therein could lie the answer as to why nobody felt any alleigance toward the other when WW came-a-knocking wielding the axe..?
Anyway, I'm sure that a CRM course or two will fix all that!
....And another thing. Those bag tags...(only had them pointed out to me the other day- not interested.) It's bullsh*t. Lose them. Grow up.
So for anyone at IB; work towards change - influence your union to do the right thing; you know what that is better than anyone from outside. Don't accept everything that the management will tell you but have one eye out of the window as to what is going on in the world. There's no comfort to be had by making a futile stand & going bust.
Above all, good luck.