BA staff walkout @ LHR
Sorry, Nigel. The cmpany I work for had booked me on one of your business class flights early next month; due to this industrial action I've asked them to change my flight to another airline.
I'm probably not alone in this; I do hope that the industrial action is quickly resolved, but whilst you've still got dead wood being paid substantial sums to hold titular appointments and contribute $od all to the airline, you'll always have deep rooted resentment amongst your employess. And I have to say that the taint of the 'Dirty Tricks' era still hangs over the company in the public memory....
I'm probably not alone in this; I do hope that the industrial action is quickly resolved, but whilst you've still got dead wood being paid substantial sums to hold titular appointments and contribute $od all to the airline, you'll always have deep rooted resentment amongst your employess. And I have to say that the taint of the 'Dirty Tricks' era still hangs over the company in the public memory....
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Very sorry to see the troubles at BA! A short sighted view by staff who seem intent on keeping working practices that are out of touch with the real world. Hope they don't bring the company down but it looks as if they might.
Cant believe folks can be so short sighted and stupid.
Cant believe folks can be so short sighted and stupid.
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Anti-Ice,
Hand Solo will answer your comments himself, I'm sure, but could I just repeat his question.
When did BA pilots last go on STRIKE?
Please do not confuse this with, "when did BA pilots last ballot for industrial action?"
By the way, were you aware that BA pilots have improved productivity by over 30% since 1997, by "negotiation with", not "imposition by" their managers? There has been the occasional fall-out as some Senior Bods tried to make a name for themselves but on the whole our relationship with our seniors has been far from fractious.
I take your point about Staff Travel. I think reality is somewhere in between our two versions.
Further to your previous posting, Anti - Ice,
You said, "The Ground staff really enjoy their job and have adapted already (along with all other BA staff), to a sweeping range of cost cutting changes under Future size & shape and the business response scheme. Saving £1billion in the process."
Could you summarise what contribution C.S.A.'s have made for the benefit of the rest of BA by way of
Hand Solo will answer your comments himself, I'm sure, but could I just repeat his question.
When did BA pilots last go on STRIKE?
Please do not confuse this with, "when did BA pilots last ballot for industrial action?"
By the way, were you aware that BA pilots have improved productivity by over 30% since 1997, by "negotiation with", not "imposition by" their managers? There has been the occasional fall-out as some Senior Bods tried to make a name for themselves but on the whole our relationship with our seniors has been far from fractious.
I take your point about Staff Travel. I think reality is somewhere in between our two versions.
Further to your previous posting, Anti - Ice,
You said, "The Ground staff really enjoy their job and have adapted already (along with all other BA staff), to a sweeping range of cost cutting changes under Future size & shape and the business response scheme. Saving £1billion in the process."
Could you summarise what contribution C.S.A.'s have made for the benefit of the rest of BA by way of
- Cost Cutting measures and
- More efficient working practices?
Controversial, moi?
Colonel Blink I will not respond to your comments regarding Scargill and the mineworkers for fear of hijacking this thread. If you care to start a new thread on JB I will gladly join in there.
I did not say that. They did not take official industrial action they walked out without prior warning and caused chaos. They had avenues to do so officially which would have been just as effective without causing the distress and damage that they did cause.
They and their organisers should be sacked.
Then come back and tell me that workers (and their elected union representation) do not have the right to industrial action.
They and their organisers should be sacked.
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Anti-Ice if you look back through this thread you'll see somebody has already quoted that BBC news story from 24th July 2001, although he conveniently chose not to mention the date of it. As I said back then, have you forgotten what happened a couple of months after that story? Uniteds pilots don't have that payrise anymore, I'm not dure DLs do either. I'm fairly sure Lufthansas strike was before Sept 11th, plus they did at least give notice that they would be striking every Tuesday, allowing the public to change their travel plans. I'll exclude Air france as they're a nationalised industry that can't go bust and striking is the French national pasttime.
I'd not seent he Mail on Sunday story before, but I would say that anything the Mail writes should be treated with a whole shovelful of salt.
The one thing that stands out from both those stories is that despite the prophecies of doom, there were no flight crew strikes. Negotiation resolved the issues, even if Ayling was hell bent on causing and then smashing a strike. Why can't the ground staff do that now? Is it because the GMB don't want to negotiate, and believe they should run the company for the benefit of their members?
I'd not seent he Mail on Sunday story before, but I would say that anything the Mail writes should be treated with a whole shovelful of salt.
The one thing that stands out from both those stories is that despite the prophecies of doom, there were no flight crew strikes. Negotiation resolved the issues, even if Ayling was hell bent on causing and then smashing a strike. Why can't the ground staff do that now? Is it because the GMB don't want to negotiate, and believe they should run the company for the benefit of their members?
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Perhaps there are no pilot's strikes because Pilots are expensive to train and to replace and therefore , if they are unhappy , management are more inclined to listen. I'm certainly not claiming to state fact here , just guessing really.
It is true that BA staff are treated better than most other airlines . That is why staff turnover is lower . I've worked for several small airlines where bullying and low pay are the norm.
Sadly , I fear our managers would like to go down the same road , as salaries can be kept low if people do not make a career of the job and it's certainl,y better from a pensions perspective. It's easier to push young inexperienced people or returning mums around than staff who feel they are professionals and expect to be treated as such.
I used to be proud and happy to work for BA. Conditions were great , pay was realistic for London , the product I was working with was one of the best in the world and I felt I was treated as an adult. Now I feel much as I did when I worked for the other airlines . Intimidated , overworked , undervalued and ready to leave.
And to those who say "well just leave then" , it's not that simple . I have financial commitments like most people do and as most customer service jobs these days are fairly unpleasant , it makes more sense to retrain , which I am doing . I will soon be in a position to look for alternative employment. Serving the public is not a pleasure any more. Constant rudeness and unrealistic demands wear even the best people down. When you do not have the support of your managers , it is pretty hard to bear sometimes.
Having watched the chaos and unhappiness the walkout brought to many , I do wonder whether the people involved actually realised the implication of what they were doing. Perhaps if they had , they would not have chosen to act as they did. I cried when I saw one Australian family who had been waiting for three days and eventually had the police remove them from the building. To be perfectly honest , when I first heard about the walkout , I was delighted that someone was finally standing up to our management . My opinion began to change after watching the news images of suffering and disappointment which were harrowing to watch . I can't help wondering if there wasn't another way of protesting which would not have caused so much damage.
I feel completely mixed emotions about the whole sorry saga. Despite what some might say , WE are being pushed to the limit by our managers but does that justify punishing the wrong people ? I wonder if there are some amongst the strikers who feel that given what happened , in retrospect , they would do it differently.
It is true that BA staff are treated better than most other airlines . That is why staff turnover is lower . I've worked for several small airlines where bullying and low pay are the norm.
Sadly , I fear our managers would like to go down the same road , as salaries can be kept low if people do not make a career of the job and it's certainl,y better from a pensions perspective. It's easier to push young inexperienced people or returning mums around than staff who feel they are professionals and expect to be treated as such.
I used to be proud and happy to work for BA. Conditions were great , pay was realistic for London , the product I was working with was one of the best in the world and I felt I was treated as an adult. Now I feel much as I did when I worked for the other airlines . Intimidated , overworked , undervalued and ready to leave.
And to those who say "well just leave then" , it's not that simple . I have financial commitments like most people do and as most customer service jobs these days are fairly unpleasant , it makes more sense to retrain , which I am doing . I will soon be in a position to look for alternative employment. Serving the public is not a pleasure any more. Constant rudeness and unrealistic demands wear even the best people down. When you do not have the support of your managers , it is pretty hard to bear sometimes.
Having watched the chaos and unhappiness the walkout brought to many , I do wonder whether the people involved actually realised the implication of what they were doing. Perhaps if they had , they would not have chosen to act as they did. I cried when I saw one Australian family who had been waiting for three days and eventually had the police remove them from the building. To be perfectly honest , when I first heard about the walkout , I was delighted that someone was finally standing up to our management . My opinion began to change after watching the news images of suffering and disappointment which were harrowing to watch . I can't help wondering if there wasn't another way of protesting which would not have caused so much damage.
I feel completely mixed emotions about the whole sorry saga. Despite what some might say , WE are being pushed to the limit by our managers but does that justify punishing the wrong people ? I wonder if there are some amongst the strikers who feel that given what happened , in retrospect , they would do it differently.
I am a figment of my own imagination
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Aeroflirt, that is about the first sincere sounding posting I have read from someone who is that side of the counter. I am at the moment in Zurich and the aviation industry there is a salutory lesson to anyone who takes their job for granted. Swiss is in dire straits, with fleets are being cut, hundreds of pilots are being laid off. Aerotechnic is laying off, Gate gourmet the catering arm is laying off, hundreds of people around the airport are losing their jobs. The mood is grim.
The intransigent attitude being taken by the union and BA strikers is quite frankly a little bit fascinating in a macabre sort of way, almost as one would watch someone who is contemplating jumping from a building. Self destructive comes to mind.
The intransigent attitude being taken by the union and BA strikers is quite frankly a little bit fascinating in a macabre sort of way, almost as one would watch someone who is contemplating jumping from a building. Self destructive comes to mind.
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I believe that the ongoing BA dispute is more to do with the imposition of the following work scheme...
- It's not about swiping cards on and off shift!!
Annualised Hours - Most Aviation Industry Companies are considering this scheme of working; to save on traditional large Overtime payments during the busier summer months and peaks etc.
An Interesting time ahead, as "Management" try and convince their workers to adopt this method in not only BA but also rumoured amongst other Ground Handling Agents.
Annualised Hours - Making Time Work for Your Company
Annualised hours systems are becoming increasingly popular in many industries including the manufacturing and service sectors as it efficiently manages a company's human resources provision, reducing overtime and helping it to plan for busy/quiet periods more effectively.
An annualised hours system allows employees and employers to agree on their working hours for the entire year rather than on a week-by-week basis.
The increased flexibility provides important cost savings for the company as overtime wages are reduced during busy periods, whilst reduced working hours can be worked during quiet times.
Using the annualised hours system a schedule is drawn up and agreed between the human resources department and each member of staff. This schedule typically states a number of basic rostered hours with a number of hours to be kept in reserve to be used when the employee and employer agree.
This reserve allocation allows increased flexibility so that during busy periods employees are available at their standard wage instead of overtime pay.
An employee's salary is then usually paid in equal weekly or monthly instalments regardless of the number of hours worked in each specific period.
Wages for the reserve hours will have been accounted for in the employee's annual salary so when the employee is called upon, for example, to cover sickness, emergencies, or sudden fluctuations in production demand, there is no need to pay overtime.
This is advantageous for employees as if they are not called upon to use all of their agreed reserve hours they effectively receive a higher rate of pay than if they had been paid on an hourly basis.
An annualised hours policy has advantages for both the employee and employer. The employer can plan more effectively, increase productivity and reduce costs, while the employee receives a regular and stable level of pay throughout the year. Job security is also enhanced as the threat of redundancies due to seasonal dips is reduced.
To make the system work effectively the planning of working hours must be efficiently managed.
A computerised time and attendance system can make the operation of an annualised hours system far easier than a manual paper-based approach. The system's forward planning module manages each employee's annualised hours schedule and records the reserve hours agreed and those worked.
The management information can show at a glance any significant impact that the basic and reserve working hours may have on time allocation and job/project costing.
Moreover, the employee whose working pattern has changed has the added benefit of being able to check on their balance whenever they want, either via a dedicated terminal or over an Intranet or Internet connection.
The main aim of using an annualised hours system is to reduce overtime, absences and costs, improve productivity and create a stable, yet flexible, working environment for employees.
Well that's how they're trying to sell it, However if flexible shifts are imposed on their workforce rather than negotiated I forsee much more trouble ahead.
- It's not about swiping cards on and off shift!!
Annualised Hours - Most Aviation Industry Companies are considering this scheme of working; to save on traditional large Overtime payments during the busier summer months and peaks etc.
An Interesting time ahead, as "Management" try and convince their workers to adopt this method in not only BA but also rumoured amongst other Ground Handling Agents.
Annualised Hours - Making Time Work for Your Company
Annualised hours systems are becoming increasingly popular in many industries including the manufacturing and service sectors as it efficiently manages a company's human resources provision, reducing overtime and helping it to plan for busy/quiet periods more effectively.
An annualised hours system allows employees and employers to agree on their working hours for the entire year rather than on a week-by-week basis.
The increased flexibility provides important cost savings for the company as overtime wages are reduced during busy periods, whilst reduced working hours can be worked during quiet times.
Using the annualised hours system a schedule is drawn up and agreed between the human resources department and each member of staff. This schedule typically states a number of basic rostered hours with a number of hours to be kept in reserve to be used when the employee and employer agree.
This reserve allocation allows increased flexibility so that during busy periods employees are available at their standard wage instead of overtime pay.
An employee's salary is then usually paid in equal weekly or monthly instalments regardless of the number of hours worked in each specific period.
Wages for the reserve hours will have been accounted for in the employee's annual salary so when the employee is called upon, for example, to cover sickness, emergencies, or sudden fluctuations in production demand, there is no need to pay overtime.
This is advantageous for employees as if they are not called upon to use all of their agreed reserve hours they effectively receive a higher rate of pay than if they had been paid on an hourly basis.
An annualised hours policy has advantages for both the employee and employer. The employer can plan more effectively, increase productivity and reduce costs, while the employee receives a regular and stable level of pay throughout the year. Job security is also enhanced as the threat of redundancies due to seasonal dips is reduced.
To make the system work effectively the planning of working hours must be efficiently managed.
A computerised time and attendance system can make the operation of an annualised hours system far easier than a manual paper-based approach. The system's forward planning module manages each employee's annualised hours schedule and records the reserve hours agreed and those worked.
The management information can show at a glance any significant impact that the basic and reserve working hours may have on time allocation and job/project costing.
Moreover, the employee whose working pattern has changed has the added benefit of being able to check on their balance whenever they want, either via a dedicated terminal or over an Intranet or Internet connection.
The main aim of using an annualised hours system is to reduce overtime, absences and costs, improve productivity and create a stable, yet flexible, working environment for employees.
Well that's how they're trying to sell it, However if flexible shifts are imposed on their workforce rather than negotiated I forsee much more trouble ahead.
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Sounds like casual work on full-time pay rates, instead of the casual rates. Brilliant for the bosses if they get it thru. Will make some manager a nice bonus. Shame about all the staff that it craps on.
Out of Trim,
Your explanation is excellent. But are there any provisions laid down for maximum hours to be worked in a shift, meal breaks during the shift, and minimum time of rest between shifts?
Tiredness can lead to accidents - not only in the air. Somebody on check in who gets too tired can have an accident on the way home - or to work, if their break time has been insufficient.
I still maintain that any sackings from BA for this should start in their personnel department......
Your explanation is excellent. But are there any provisions laid down for maximum hours to be worked in a shift, meal breaks during the shift, and minimum time of rest between shifts?
Tiredness can lead to accidents - not only in the air. Somebody on check in who gets too tired can have an accident on the way home - or to work, if their break time has been insufficient.
I still maintain that any sackings from BA for this should start in their personnel department......
Controversial, moi?
Er....this is not what the dispute is about and neither is an annualised hours system being imposed.
It might well be on the wish list for the future but at the moment the company want their employees time records based on an electronic system rather than the quaint and corruptable pen and paper system presently in use.
But then if they do that the nice liittle perks available at the moment will be gone forever.
It might well be on the wish list for the future but at the moment the company want their employees time records based on an electronic system rather than the quaint and corruptable pen and paper system presently in use.
But then if they do that the nice liittle perks available at the moment will be gone forever.
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Sounds like management endevoring to make a more profitable company, and a certain sector trying to protect entrenched perks which they consider as their 'rights'.
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M Mouse
There has been a lot about the so-called 'spanish practises' and clocking off early coming out of BA management lately. This is a total red herring (more propaganda?).
ATR is irrelevant to this argument - if there is a problem with absenteeism at the terminal at LHR then what are the line managers doing about it? - god knows there are enough of them!
Absenteeism can be perfectly well controlled using the old pen and paper system of time recording - if I disappeared after 2 hours my manager certainly wouldn't need a computer to see that I had gone.
From todays Guardian.
So if ATR isn't needed to control a problem with absenteeism, what is it needed for? - perhaps a clue from what is actually built into ATR - Annualised hours?
But then if they do that the nice liittle perks available at the moment will be gone forever.
ATR is irrelevant to this argument - if there is a problem with absenteeism at the terminal at LHR then what are the line managers doing about it? - god knows there are enough of them!
Absenteeism can be perfectly well controlled using the old pen and paper system of time recording - if I disappeared after 2 hours my manager certainly wouldn't need a computer to see that I had gone.
From todays Guardian.
Listen to the company, and the introduction of electronic swipe cards is a modern, efficient successor to writing signatures on bits of paper at the beginning and end of shifts. Senior BA managers have complained that some staff are heading home early, colleagues later forging signatures practised in pubs around Heathrow. The allegation echoes the newspaper owners in the 1970s and 1980s, with BA somehow having survived as a bastion of the restrictive practices swept away by Rupert Murdoch's moonlight flit to Wapping.
So how many BA check-in staff have been disciplined in recent years for bunking off early, cheating the company of a few hours here and the odd half day there as passengers heading for Benidorm have been left stranded at the Belfast gate? Perhaps a dozen? Maybe 50? Possibly even hundreds? After the hoo-ha of the past few days, the shocking figure was disclosed yesterday by a BA spokesman. "None that we know of," he said.
So how many BA check-in staff have been disciplined in recent years for bunking off early, cheating the company of a few hours here and the odd half day there as passengers heading for Benidorm have been left stranded at the Belfast gate? Perhaps a dozen? Maybe 50? Possibly even hundreds? After the hoo-ha of the past few days, the shocking figure was disclosed yesterday by a BA spokesman. "None that we know of," he said.
So if ATR isn't needed to control a problem with absenteeism, what is it needed for? - perhaps a clue from what is actually built into ATR - Annualised hours?
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I noticed that a very senior BA Manager named as Mike Street was mentioned in a newspaper article regarding this dispute. I t doesn't surprise me at all that there is a huge gulf between management and staff. He was the manager responsible for integrating Dan Air into BA. And, it amazes me that he has continued to float to the top in the 11 years since then.
His integration plan involved ignoring the agreed seniority list, so that the most senior pilot was made redundent and the most junior pilot, who had been in Dan Air for a few months, was retained (and is now still doing very nicely in BA). The surpluss in the pilots pension fund was raided, and £8 million was transferred to the BA bottom line. The 4 'dinner ladies' in the Horley staff canteen were given one weeks notice - and Forte catering with posh hats etc brought in on contract for the 3 months closing down period of the old head office. etc.etc.etc.
I saw no compassion or fairness in the way some of the senior people in BA went about their business then, and I don't see much now.
Having said that - there is no excuse for the CSAs to treat BA's customers with a strike. Those that walked out on that Friday at LHR T4 should be sacked for breach of contract. The answer, surely, is to keep working and at the same time get their unions to force BA to retire the useless managers. They also need to force any skiving CSAs within their own ranks on the shop floor to shape up before BA goes bust like Air Canada, United, Swissair, Sabena etc etc
His integration plan involved ignoring the agreed seniority list, so that the most senior pilot was made redundent and the most junior pilot, who had been in Dan Air for a few months, was retained (and is now still doing very nicely in BA). The surpluss in the pilots pension fund was raided, and £8 million was transferred to the BA bottom line. The 4 'dinner ladies' in the Horley staff canteen were given one weeks notice - and Forte catering with posh hats etc brought in on contract for the 3 months closing down period of the old head office. etc.etc.etc.
I saw no compassion or fairness in the way some of the senior people in BA went about their business then, and I don't see much now.
Having said that - there is no excuse for the CSAs to treat BA's customers with a strike. Those that walked out on that Friday at LHR T4 should be sacked for breach of contract. The answer, surely, is to keep working and at the same time get their unions to force BA to retire the useless managers. They also need to force any skiving CSAs within their own ranks on the shop floor to shape up before BA goes bust like Air Canada, United, Swissair, Sabena etc etc
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All very true Fifty Four, However it gets worse,those pilots lucky enough to be taken on have since then been subjected to a two tier system within the BA community culminating with the last pay deal. This is supposed to be a collective deal and so according to the great God BALPA overides all previous agreements concerning ex Dan Pilots. Even their pensions are now capped at PP 16 + 5% regardless of the fact that they have been paying into the fund at PP20 for the last ten years. This gives a pension of £ 7480 pa less than a similar BA pension or a widows pension of £3740 pa less.
But such is life within BALPA run BA. We even have a Gatwick Local Council Chairman based not at LGW but at BHX and MAN and flying a type not now operating out of LGW. Does he step down? No he has the gall to assert that he represents us!!
But such is life within BALPA run BA. We even have a Gatwick Local Council Chairman based not at LGW but at BHX and MAN and flying a type not now operating out of LGW. Does he step down? No he has the gall to assert that he represents us!!
Words of wisdom
The TGWU general secretary, Bill Morris, has apparently said with reference to the BA dispute that "almost all industrial disputes eventually end in compromise" - therefore there's no point in starting a war about clock cards as both sides will have to come to terms in the end. Compare and contrast the position of the GMB...
Certainly, the csa's have a point about the danger of getting casualised. But simply being asked to clock-in isn't the crack of doom. I've done a lot of jobs, and one that sticks in the mind was in the crown prosecution service. There, we were on flexitime. Originally, recording was on paper. The paper log bore very little resemblance to the number of persons in the office at any given time. Then a clock device was installed. Things didn't change much - there were still a large number of people who were usually 70hrs+ in debt on their flexy, but this did not apparently mean any less money! (By the time I left I had assembled a flexitime credit of 102 hours by the simple expedient of turning up on time.) Was this sensible?
Speaking of sense, though, BA showed very little sense in picking high summer to have a row with front line staff. Mr. Eddington seems to have taken the attitude of a turn-of-the-century sheep station boss - There'll be no bloody union on my land! - and now can't be seen to take off his cowboy hat. BA's response to the strike was suspiciously poor - no management showing themselves out front, even if they couldn't do the job it would at least have looked better - were they perhaps trying to maximise the drama so as to bully the staff? And the split between the unions involved is frankly childish. Barrie Clement in today's Independent points out that the GMB recently began a recruiting drive - perhaps the reason for their hard line...
Certainly, the csa's have a point about the danger of getting casualised. But simply being asked to clock-in isn't the crack of doom. I've done a lot of jobs, and one that sticks in the mind was in the crown prosecution service. There, we were on flexitime. Originally, recording was on paper. The paper log bore very little resemblance to the number of persons in the office at any given time. Then a clock device was installed. Things didn't change much - there were still a large number of people who were usually 70hrs+ in debt on their flexy, but this did not apparently mean any less money! (By the time I left I had assembled a flexitime credit of 102 hours by the simple expedient of turning up on time.) Was this sensible?
Speaking of sense, though, BA showed very little sense in picking high summer to have a row with front line staff. Mr. Eddington seems to have taken the attitude of a turn-of-the-century sheep station boss - There'll be no bloody union on my land! - and now can't be seen to take off his cowboy hat. BA's response to the strike was suspiciously poor - no management showing themselves out front, even if they couldn't do the job it would at least have looked better - were they perhaps trying to maximise the drama so as to bully the staff? And the split between the unions involved is frankly childish. Barrie Clement in today's Independent points out that the GMB recently began a recruiting drive - perhaps the reason for their hard line...
I am a figment of my own imagination
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Pprune is a place where we congregate to observe, to chat and hopefully to learn something of interest or value to us. In this particular thread those contributors interested or concerned by the action have voiced various opinions and I with them. Recently a couple of things have caught my attention. One was an offer as a regular pax which arrived in my office box.
"BA have trialled this to good effect. People have turned up at 0045 for a 0130 departure. The baggage labels and the boarding passes are already printed, and thus families will need to spend very little time sitting around the airport or being in queues. Staff will need the passengers names, nationality, telephone number (Mobile if possible), number of bags to be checked in, and to where.The staff will then advise back at what time the 'TUTO' customers need to turn up at the airport."
Now this to me is an attractive offer. I do not like the long lines and delays entailed to which I am regularly subjected to as a pax particularly because in my other capacity I get through pretty quick and get to sit in the best seat in the house, and the one that gets all the view. One of these long lines is at the check in counter.
The second thing that has just caught my eye was an aviation related report about a major US carrier that is struggling with the rest to survive which has embarked on a program to help passengers cut waiting time, reduce frustration, add flexibility and empower them in seat changes and checking in. It has already begun implimenting the technology that will enable pax to check themselves in. Tickets can now be bought online and smart terminals at the airport enable the pax to check themselves in at the airport . LaGuardia has these smart terminals and pax are getting familiar with and liking them. 14 million pax have used 670 of them to date and more are coming.
When all companies are looking increasingly harder at ways to improve efficiancy, cut costs, be more competative in these tight financial times, the pain and cost of a strike to both BA 's pocket and reputation is something that cannot be ignored. It is struggling to survive along with the rest of us.
There was an oil embargo once which demonstrated vulnerability to the oil producers, it spurred a massive search for alternative areas. The result was not quite what the users of the origional oil weapon had intended and their weapon was neutralised. The witholding of services may well spur efforts to do without those services and find alternative ways of achieving the required results. It may not be quite the result that the striking check in staff would have wanted or like.
"BA have trialled this to good effect. People have turned up at 0045 for a 0130 departure. The baggage labels and the boarding passes are already printed, and thus families will need to spend very little time sitting around the airport or being in queues. Staff will need the passengers names, nationality, telephone number (Mobile if possible), number of bags to be checked in, and to where.The staff will then advise back at what time the 'TUTO' customers need to turn up at the airport."
Now this to me is an attractive offer. I do not like the long lines and delays entailed to which I am regularly subjected to as a pax particularly because in my other capacity I get through pretty quick and get to sit in the best seat in the house, and the one that gets all the view. One of these long lines is at the check in counter.
The second thing that has just caught my eye was an aviation related report about a major US carrier that is struggling with the rest to survive which has embarked on a program to help passengers cut waiting time, reduce frustration, add flexibility and empower them in seat changes and checking in. It has already begun implimenting the technology that will enable pax to check themselves in. Tickets can now be bought online and smart terminals at the airport enable the pax to check themselves in at the airport . LaGuardia has these smart terminals and pax are getting familiar with and liking them. 14 million pax have used 670 of them to date and more are coming.
When all companies are looking increasingly harder at ways to improve efficiancy, cut costs, be more competative in these tight financial times, the pain and cost of a strike to both BA 's pocket and reputation is something that cannot be ignored. It is struggling to survive along with the rest of us.
There was an oil embargo once which demonstrated vulnerability to the oil producers, it spurred a massive search for alternative areas. The result was not quite what the users of the origional oil weapon had intended and their weapon was neutralised. The witholding of services may well spur efforts to do without those services and find alternative ways of achieving the required results. It may not be quite the result that the striking check in staff would have wanted or like.
Self Check - In
I am intrigued at the possibility of being able to check myself in and avoid the terrible queues and the interminable wait the worst part of most - surely that ... and internet access to pre-arrange seats , catering needs etc. are the way ahead (apart from the greedier IT airlines who try and sting you for an extra £20.00 each to book the emergency exit seats) so surely Mr Eddington must be actively viewing this as his solution to the current debacle with his staff (I hear there is still a shedload of bags at LHR).
I have used a self-check in once - BA at Gatwick (flying all the way to Manchester) - but it was only for the baggageless, to be able to do it for my baggageladen flights on hols would be a real blessing and would surely be the end to the majority of the frayed tempers one always finds amongst the SLF.
How can one "self check in" baggage ?? check - in agents are seen as the arbitrary imposers of fines - overweight baggage charges - by most of the people I know and somebody you always have to be extra nice to as non of us ever manage to keep within the 20 kg we are allowed.
It's time we used a bit more technology and we moved on from the risk of wildcat strikes spoiling our day.
I have used a self-check in once - BA at Gatwick (flying all the way to Manchester) - but it was only for the baggageless, to be able to do it for my baggageladen flights on hols would be a real blessing and would surely be the end to the majority of the frayed tempers one always finds amongst the SLF.
How can one "self check in" baggage ?? check - in agents are seen as the arbitrary imposers of fines - overweight baggage charges - by most of the people I know and somebody you always have to be extra nice to as non of us ever manage to keep within the 20 kg we are allowed.
It's time we used a bit more technology and we moved on from the risk of wildcat strikes spoiling our day.
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There is an interesting article in todays Guardian exploring one of the possible reasons why management got it so wrong in this dispute.
Perhaps a reason for managements mistakes are the seemingly total lack of women in senior management roles. In a company like BA where probably around 50% of its staff are women, having a senior management composed entirely of men could be seen as an error.
Now we are in the 21st Century and BA is mainly a customer service company, perhaps the old style macho/bully boy management style of Skippy is not what is needed in todays enviroment? - bring back Babs perhaps?
BA, and the unions too, have been caught on the hop because they failed to understand that, for these relatively low-paid, often part-time, women workers, the welfare of children comes first - above money. According to Simon Duncan, professor of comparative social policy at the University of Bradford and a member of Leeds University's care and values research group, BA is making a "rationality mistake" in assuming that working mothers make individual cost/benefit decisions about work in the same way as men. On the contrary, according to Duncan, rational decision-making for women involves "moral and socially negotiated views about what is right and proper".
If BA were making the "rationality mistake" it would have expected its female workers to agree grudgingly to the card system (as did the 95% male group which accepted it two years ago) and eventually, probably, to working split shifts, perhaps in return for higher pay. But for these women (many working part-time), money cannot balance the loss of flexibility. If split shifts are introduced, and they cannot be fitted around the needs of the children, then they will give up their jobs. They literally have nothing to lose in refusing to budge on this issue.
If BA were making the "rationality mistake" it would have expected its female workers to agree grudgingly to the card system (as did the 95% male group which accepted it two years ago) and eventually, probably, to working split shifts, perhaps in return for higher pay. But for these women (many working part-time), money cannot balance the loss of flexibility. If split shifts are introduced, and they cannot be fitted around the needs of the children, then they will give up their jobs. They literally have nothing to lose in refusing to budge on this issue.
Now we are in the 21st Century and BA is mainly a customer service company, perhaps the old style macho/bully boy management style of Skippy is not what is needed in todays enviroment? - bring back Babs perhaps?