British Airways Mixed Fleet Crew Balloting for Industrial Action.

[Dingbaticus]

Well you can't blame this one on us Legacy folk.

We have been kept seperate to prevent us from contaminating MF with our 'militant' ways.

And yet here they are, being balloted this week for Industrial Action!

Now before anyone issues MF Cabin Crew with a tut for their rebellious ways, read this link which gives some insight. (Talking of insight, did everyone get a gander at the slide at the recent IAG Investors shindig?)

British Airways cabin crew in strike vote over ‘poverty’ pay levels
British Airways cabin crew in strike vote over ?poverty? pay levels (http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/british-airways-cabin-crew-in-strike-vote-over-poverty-pay-levels/)

[crewmeal]

It seems BA are determined to become a low cost carrier charging for everything in Y class on short haul. Cramming more seats in the fleet, baggage charges etc etc. With low cost comes low cost wages. This is the aim of BA now to keep in line with the others.

Just a matter of interest is there a comparison of wages in Iberia?

[Skipness One Echo]

Incremental change works short term but one day you realise you've gone too far and what you had is really unrecognisable.

Think Father Ted tapping out a small dent in the prize draw car......

[Mr Angry from Purley]

Is it true the basic for a mixed fleet CC is 11k and allowances now at £2 something an hour???:\:\

[average-punter]

I'm surprised it has taken this long to be honest... A good friend of mine left an orange outfit for BA MF and her pay check reduced by £600 per month!

[HZ123]

Regarding the additional seating in Y class B777's, at one time as I recall a couple of examples boasted the extra seat/row. I believe it was removed because of pax complaints.

Unfortunately BA is merely following where others lead the way. Corporate answer for pax, I guess would be choose Club / First options. The pay quoted here has been improved on, the issue is, about 2000-3000 enquires per month to join BA CC it is unlikely that pay / conditions will improve much, while so many are keen to fly irrespective of emoluments.

MF CC demise is no different to many employees relatively poor conditions in UK PLC and what chance is there for any improvement ?

I sympathise with them and also the difficult situation for Legacy crews.

[Wycombe]

Regarding the additional seating in Y class B777's, at one time as I recall a couple of examples boasted the extra seat/row

Weren't these the AML airframes at LGW?

[Dingbaticus]

Folk need to stop clutching their pearls and get over their nostalgic Daily Mail tinged view of British Airways as some sort of national treasure. Our AGM is held in Madrid and conducted in Spanish.

I may not like some management methods but I do recognise we need to adapt and evolve as.a business or go the way of the dinosaurs.

That means our World Traveller and Euro Traveller Brands need to compete against 'lo-cost', as they are cabins chosen by cost sensitive customers.

We also need to pay for hard products that today's customers demand; new aircraft, improved IFE and wifi connectivity don't come without a cost.

Euro Traveller BOB (buy on board) gives the budget sensitive traveller a choice and for those who are willing to pay the extra we offer other Brands - Club Europe, World Traveller Plus.

We are investing £400 million in Club World on top of a newly designed seat and I am proud to have been selected to be part of the team involved with these changes.

We need this to be a success and our Leadership Team need to accept that part of that success will be engaging the Cabin Crew as stakeholders, not treating them as a dehumanised unit cost.

Back to the topic, Mixed Fleet are not asking for anything outrageous. They are asking to be paid the same hourly subsistance rate as our Flight Crew colleagues. They go to the same destinations so why should they be paid less?

If Mixed Fleet go on strike then Unite will provide them with Strike Pay, during Dispute 2010 Legacy crew received strike pay so this is nothing new.

I genuinely hope this Mixed Fleet Dispute 2016 is amicably resolved, as it is not only damaging to the Brand it will see Mixed Fleet's camaraderie damaged.

Sadly folk on Legacy Fleet still have the scars of Dispute 2010, Industrial Action is not something to be taken lightly and that's why BASSA's recent IA over the new performance management 'Dashboard' was a 'work to rule', rather than pressing the nuclear option.

It resulted in a positive outcome with both sides quickly back in talks negotiating and the membership accepting the new proposals. We are now in negotiations with our employer over other matters, which I hope are as quickly and amicably resolved.

[Avtur]

British Airways crew vote for Heathrow strike - BBC News (http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38319538)

They have now voted to strike.