Willie swings his axe

[Bomber Harris]

Thanks Carnage.....now I can include the report. They said on the news he/she was a baggage handler. Is that correct anybody?

LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways, Europe's third-largest airline, said on Thursday it had dismissed one of the three of its employees facing disciplinary action over a strike at Heathrow this year.

"The dismissed employee has been found guilty of gross misconduct for playing a leading role in the walk out," BA said in a statement.

BA said a second employee had been issued with a written warning and suspended without pay for a month. Proceedings against a third employee continued.

[groundbum]

mad timing

it seems mad to antagonise the unions a week before Xmas when fares are three or four times what they are in January. One out all out time, or work to rule, or call sickies or whatever the ground handlers are planning even now? This would be more poor publicity for BA.

You'd think all those clever managers could have arranged it that this fella received his dismissal news Jan 5th or sometime when traffic is down to a winter low!

S

[Carnage Matey!]

Yeah but who's going to organise the illegal walkout? Of the three who did it last time, one is now unemployed, one is suspended without pay for a month (handy for paying those xmas bills) and one is suspended on pay whilst still being investigated. It'll be a brave shop steward who organises a walk out now. BA still have the TGWU by the balls since the previous strikes organisers have claimed Tony Woodley personally told them to organis the action. Once sniff of a legitimate strike and the lawyers will be banging on his door with a demand for £45M!

[leander]

I agree with CM

This is no sign of weakness.

Illegal strike = sack.

Next.

[Jetstream Rider]

There is not much the union can do, unless BA didn't follow the disciplinary process. If they did, its all fair and square and open for inspection. Any strike due to that will by definition be unofficial and people risk thier jobs, as demonstrated.

[GOAROUNDMAN]

BA Strikers sacked

BA has sacked one of the organizers from last summers LHR strike and may sack the other two. What could come of this another strike?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4531556.stm

[normal_nigel]

The TGWU said if anyone was sacked they would ballot for strike action.

Willie must be rubbing his hands.

The very people he wanted his first fight with, no doubt.

He wanted them at the time but got overruled by Eddington and Street

[GOAROUNDMAN]

Correct me I am wrong but I get the impression that it's 'seconds out' and the bell has rung. It's looking like another strike but even other ground crews could walk as well this time. And just before Christmas. I have also heard that a lot flights out of LGW are being cut next year. Is this the beginning of the concildation to T5?

[Hotel Mode]

Where do you get this information from, surely the ground staff know they'll be out on their ear faster than you can say "outsourced" if they do it again, and T+G know that BA will be after them for the lost money from the last strike.

As for Gatwick, they are pulling out of HAJ and MUC but adding at least 4 new destinations instead.

[MarkD]

Let's hope BA have better policies in place than in Jessica Starmer's case.

[Joetom]

Very strange they sacked staff just before the xmas time, I belive this was due to problems in the summer time.

Can only guess managers are daft or enjoy a bun fight at a time when airlines take lots of cash of those customers, or option 3, managers are worried about own jobs and have lost the plot.

I think I know an Airline that makes its own trouble.????

[Hotel Mode]

Or a master stroke? The summers strikers know damn well that willy is not rod and will lock them out if they walk out unnoficially, and do they really want no pay in december. Any official action (unlikely given the loaded gun BA have at T+G's head) will take at least a month to organise taking us nicely into the quietest time of year.

[leander]

I really can't see why the BA bashers think this is a mistake. WW is just setting out his stall for the New Year.

The illegal strike caused untold damage to our reputation and balance sheet. For the management not to react would be completely irresponsible. BA seem to have decided that these shop stewards were responsible. They and the union have to decide whether they were acting in an official or personal capacity.

Personal = sack. Go bully someone else.

Official = legal action against the TGWU. Cough up.

Either way BA has laid down a marker to the militants that the door mat days are over. Some of us are keen to earn a living and provide the service our customers expect.

If there is a problem with this decision then I am sure that it will be settled at the Appeal. After that everybody will have a better appreciation of WW's mettle for the changes to come.

[HZ123]

I am not sure than I share the same enthusiam as many of you do for getting shot of the ramp staff. WW is only to aware that the shareholders also have to be accounted to. They have recieved nothing in the last five years. To lock out the ramp staff would bring BA to a standstill. There are no other companies that could could take on this task (staff nos on ramp about 2200). None of the present Handling companies could fulfill the functions or do it much better. The only consideration would be TUPE of ramp / customer service, but I doubt there are any companies that would want to take on a workforce of this size, with the conditions that BA would impose. In January there will be the completion of a review of ramp activities and how this may relate to the T5 start up.