BA Unofficial Strike ( Merged)

[bealine]

Hmm..so if I understand correctly, BA will upgrade one of its baggage loaders into Club class to get him off on his holidays the if flight is full down the back but won't upgrade into such otherwise empty seats any fare paying pax who have been marooned for days by flights cancelled due to such BA staff walking off the job

No - you don't understand at all. BA's policy is that all pax travel in the cabin for which they have paid. If any operational upgrades are required, they will only be moved forward one cabin - ie WT goes to WT+, WT+ to Club and Club to First.

Staff tickets are different. The normal stand-by ticket is a 53 (free) or 54 (Paid For) M(Economy or "Main" cabin entitlement). A long-serving member of staff may pay to make his stand-by ticket "Firm" (although still off-loadable if commercial demand dictates) which gives him entitlement to 20 J (Club World) in the event there are seats available in Club World when the flight closes. This is part of the salary/reward structure and compensates somewhat for the low pay structure in our industry. (....and whatever industry you choose to work in gives some perks!)

Now, removal of staff-travel perks is a sanction that the company could, and should, withdraw from these tw*ts who walked out on us with immediate effect - indeed, the long-serving members should have their "Date of Joining" (which drives on-load priority and other privileges) wiped clean as if they were "new hires" - that's if they weren't sacked because that is exactly what I would do to them!!!

The staff travel perk is nice to have and I am eternally grateful for mine!!! I have been to places, with my family, around the world denied to most people without a "Fat Cat" salary - indeed, I'm off to Costa Rica tomorrow!!!

I am ashamed of the actions of these "former colleagues" and I firmly hope the rest of the decent BA staff will ostracise these idiots so that, if Rod doesn't sack them, they'll feel so uncomfortable they'll end up leaving!

See Ya!

BEA

[Knackered Nigel]

Wrong Maxtow,

Staff travel has been suspended for some time to allow revenue passengers on board.

Flight, cabin crew and staff from most departments have been doing their utmost to alleviate the effects of this illegal action. I have given up one of my two rostered days off to help get the operation on track. I have every sympathy for the travelling public who have had their plans ruined. I can but apologise.

Purr777,

Whilst I would like to help in the terminal, I am trained to fly a/c, so that it what I have been doing.

It sounds like IMHO that the action by GG to their staff was not the right way to tackle the issue. But I cannot condone secondary action.

[Max Tow]

Bealine. I'm sure we're on the same wavelength (though I think you're slightly off track with BA staff upgrade procedures,with which I am very familiar). In any event I'm glad to hear from Knackered Nigel that the possibility of any such faux-pas has been removed pro-tem, and as you say, hopefully for good from these individuals. However, if the Times story is correct (and this ties in with my family members' experience with rebooking), it does seem a lost of opportunity for some good old service recovery at nil cost. It may not be normal BA operational policy to upgrade beyond cabin paid for but neither is cancelling 70,000 journeys for the worst of reasons. I recall Qantas once evacuated 700 from Darwin on a 747 which doubtless wasn't normal policy either - I'm not suggesting straphanging, but filling empty seats doesn't seem to be an untoward or,as mentioned above, unprecedented application of common sense and goodwill.

[SpiralDive]

Its not so bad today

Well, I'm getting first hand experience of the 'delays' as I'm sitting in LHR right now waiting for a trip across the pond. Gotta say I think that BA are doing a good job here minimising the inconvenience. Was handed a £10 voucher as soon as I cleared security without asking, (in fact I was trying to avoid the guy cause I thought he was gonna ask me to fill out a survey or something). There's snacks available outside the lounge and lots of staff around (I was talking to engineering managers handing out vouchers) so so far the experience has been nothing but pleasant. I fly for one of the UK charter outfits so no connection to BA.

[eal401]

You are typical of the selfish well off who think they are owed everything. I don't salute you.

Well, I am most certainly not well off. neither am I selfish. people who are selfish are those who undertake an illegal strike with little regard of the impact on the thousands of people both rich and not so rich who have been badly affected by this completely illegal strike. I've had to highlight the points as you are clearly struggling mightily to get to grips with this.

Once again, what do you say to the ordinary, non-rich people whose hard earned holidays or trips to weddings etc. that cannot be delayed and as a result have missed out on annual holidays or once in a lifetime events?

This is the third time I have made this point, your lack of response proves that you either know you are cornered and can't answer it, or that you really are too thick or lacking in a basic understanding of social awareness to comprehend such a situation.

My argument is with the BA personnel. Nobody forced them on strike, if they hadn't done so, the worst is no meals on the plane, big deal. Their actual action has caused distruption and potential for significant losses for their company. They have let themselves and their colleagues down. They, without doubt, should be sacked and referenced in a manner to ensure that they are unemployable. The only people to blame for losing their jobs will be those they see in the mirror every morning.

(Or am I just falling for an attention seeking troll?)

[apaddyinuk]

Purr777 said,
"BA staff fail to volunteer to help pax
BA so-called customer service staff (agents, pilots, crews etc) as well as managers are failing to respond to calls to help pax. Tasks include assisting pax with info and handing out food vouchers for BA's non-catered flights, yet staff are failing to respond. And yet on forums such as these you read people shouting how great BA team spirit is. Mmm....
Any pilots/crew dared to lower themselves and help the people who pay their wages?"

Well I would love to know your exact source of this as I can assure you that the number of off duty ground staff, crew and flightdeck who have volunteered has been mighty, I personally am BA crew but based in LGW, I worked up in T1 on friday evening and I was up there with a number of pilots and crew. I was also up there with a number of office staff and managers from across the company including flight ops, engineering and waterside. The team spirit has been exceptional and despite a few angry (accectable unde the circumstances) which even passengers would agree!

[bar none]

It is interesting to note that on the BA intranet the strong support for the strikers is about 1%, nuetrals about 2% and the rest of the staff are vehemently against them and asking for management to take diciplinary action

[gas path]

The catering firm at the centre of Heathrow airport's travel chaos had considered provoking strikes last year so staff could be replaced with cheaper labour, a leaked memo has revealed.

A secret internal briefing presented to bosses at Gate Gourmet, which provides catering for British Airways, reads: "Recruit, train and security check drivers.

"Announce intention to trade union, provoking unofficial industrial action from staff. Dismiss current workforce. Replace with new staff."

The draft document, prepared in 2004 and now obtained by the Daily Mirror, sets out a 15-week timetable for goading employees into striking so they could be replaced with lower-paid east European labour trained in secret.

The scheme bears striking similarities to events of the last week, which saw the company summarily sack hundreds of staff who had taken unofficial action on Wednesday.

Last year's memo also highlights the main risk of the plan as being "potential for wider Heathrow disruption".
source: Daily Mirror

If true, first off I hope BA takes GG to the cleaners as a company and separately its management and directors.
Why didn't they just come clean and say they wanted to replace them with cheaper labour, I'm sure that the staff would have been quite happy to help the company in any way they could and just leave.

[radeng]

Failing to fill aircraft because some people would have to be upgraded is a definite way of NOT getting the best PR! If there's seats in Club World or First, fill them! Upgrade Club passengers and Gold and Silver card holders to first and club as available, then upgrade lower grade Exec Club travellers through WT+ and Club and fill the plane.

BA has shot itself in the foot PR wise with delaying people further.

But if they don't get catering back very soon, they'll be in even more do-do.

[MarkD]

bealine

don't know how long that policy has been in place - I have been upgraded (in Jan 2003) from WT to Club (YYZ-LHR).

[radeng]

Mark D

relatively recently. As a Gold card holder, I got upgraded quite often until about spring 2004. Since then - no way.

Silly really, since the incremental cost is b****r all, and the goodwill generated enormous.

[bealine]

bealine

don't know how long that policy has been in place - I have been upgraded (in Jan 2003) from WT to Club (YYZ-LHR)

It is the official policy. However, stations outside the UK are handled by other airlines/handling agents so tend to do their own thing!

[Baron rouge]

Once again, what do you say to the ordinary, non-rich people whose hard earned holidays or trips to weddings etc. that cannot be delayed and as a result have missed out on annual holidays or once in a lifetime events?

Eal , as you are either blind or bad faithed, I will repeat again that I would explain to these people that 2 days delay or even a hollyday lost is nothing compared with loosing your job.

I must add that most probably, that kind of customer would not complain because they know about hardship.

Those who will complain at all cost and we know them, are those who don't even pay themseves for their tickets because their employers do, but they know all the tricks to make as much money as they can from anything.

Now speaking about BA strike: It is ILLEGAL... from how long has it prevented brits to do what they wanted ?

War in IRAK was declared illegal, but Blair did send his soldiers kill and get killed there. Did you fired him ?
no you reelected him!!!

So everything you say about the Illegality of that strike is completely irrelevant as the PM deciding this took his country in IRAK although he perfectly knew it was ILLEGAL and that there were no arms of Mass Destruction.

I would say it is quite refreshing to see workers act in support of their ex-collegues, they knew that if not their turn would be next.

[RevMan2]

Baron rouge

Go back to sleep, mate.

You're totally off message and if you want to rant on about your political beliefs, butt out of here and get a soapbox. This is not an election forum.

Oh, and by the way.

Gate Gourmet has been owned by TPG since 2002.

TPG invests primarily in restructurings, recapitalizations and buyouts and is or has been involved with Continental Airlines, America West Airlines, Beringer Wine Estates, J. Crew, Del Monte, Ducati Motorcycles, Globespan Technologies, and ON Semiconductor. And Ansett2 which never made it.

Dave Bonderman is founder and pincipal of TPG. He's on the board of Continental Airlines, Inc.; Bell & Howell Company; Ducati Motorcycles S.p.A.; Co-Star Realty Information Group; Denbury Resources, Inc.; Ryanair, plc; Washington Mutual, Inc.; Oxford Health Plans, Inc.; ON Semiconductors; Magellan Health Services, Inc., Paradyne Networks, Inc., and Korea First Bank.

Again - Ryanair - he owns 14% of the shares and is Chairman.

This has nothing to do with the UK's brand of modern socialism or whatever you perceive it to be - this guy is in it to invest some money, make a big return and get out if he can't.

Social conscience? Forget it.

And BA's contract with GG runs out next year. Will they renew? No.
The clock is ticking for Gate Gourmet and I feel sorry for the people who are going to lose their job. Will Dave Bonderman lose a second of sleep over them? You're kidding!

He spent 6 million quid on his 60th birthday party in the same year he spent 675,000 on buying GG from Swissair. He's worth 6 billion quid.

Does this put things into perspective?

[baggersup]

So, what is the situation? Are the BA strikers going to be sacked or not? Can't find anything definitive in the few papers I've looked at.... BA execs seem pretty mum on this subject in news stories...

What's the expected outcome?

[Paterbrat]

Whether GG staff were justified in their fury with the treatment they got from company, or whether they were set up, their initial wildcat action was illegal. If it played into unscrupulous bosses hands then they were suckered, but the fact remains why not do it legally through the mechanisms which did exist. It seems to have been a pretty homogenous community type 'lets do this' without realising what was going to happen.

BA strike seems to have been mainly family ties triggering that wildcat sympathy strike where their company did not seem deserve the crap they have been landed with, yet again, by militant action from a minority.

Both strike groups did so apparently outside the law and existing union structure, have created an avalanche and done massive damage to companies and customers alike.

No easy answers to a complex mess. What will hapen to the illegal strikers in GG yet to be said.
In BA. Probably what happened to the last lot.

What could possibly be done by BA. With very careful observation cherrypick and carefully/legaly pick off and get rid off, within existing Union and company strictures, the worst offenders throughout the company who provoke and create these types of intentional damage.
It probably would not cost 40 million quid to do so, and a repeat of the last three years might well be avoided.
It would also be a massive favour to those company employess who do care, who do work within the generally accepted and present guidelines of employer employee relations, and do get damaged themselves when this happens.

[FlyingCroc]

That's what happens!

Gate Gourmet paid and treated its employees very bad and sacked 500 on the spot to save a few quid. Now BA loses millions! What will happen to this jerk of a manager at Gate Gourmet?

[radeng]

Let alone the incompetance of GG's management, you have to wonder about BA managers who implement a policy of not upgrading. So aircraft go out with empty seats in Club, and economy passengers spend more nights in hotels at BA's expense! There's cash going out of the door needlessly for you....

[Jordan D]

BBC are reporting in this article that they offered GG a "more generous contract in mid-July" .... brings something new to the plot.

Jordan

[Carnage Matey!]

you have to wonder about BA managers who implement a policy of not upgrading

Yes you do have to wonder, especially as the last flight I operated left with every seat, including jumpseats, occupied. Most of the premium cabins were full of upgrades. In fact most BA pilots I've heard from tell the same story, so one really must wonder where the newspapers are finding all these abandoned passengers 'cos from where I'm looking the no-upgrades policy simply doesn't exist in reality.