vs_lhr

You cannot twist the figures that way to suit your purpose, nor can you extrapolate figures in a straight line to say if everyone voted, it would have been 2200 in favour.

All we know for sure is the opinions of those who voted yes or no. We don't know, and it is folly to speculate on, the reasons of those who abstained or were not in a position to vote. Therefore, the whole "play" on it only being 30% of the crew who voted for the strike are the only facts we have. Everything else is guesswork.

Litebulbs

VS LHR

If you use your logic, the only certainty is the ballot result. Who knows what everyone else feels, but 1500 cabin crew members have voted yes to strike action.

Busta Level

@ vs_lhr...

As you are very aware statistics can be utilised/massaged to show any result you want them to.

If you use the same line of reasoning as the company has done to come up with the "only 30% voted yes" figure, then surely you can also see that only 12% of the workforce voted no!

But, funnily enough, that is not being quoted much on the company communications....

vs_lhr

Busta Level,

Absolutely - I agree, the number who actively voted no to strike was only 605 - or about 12-13% of the crew. However the important distinction is that we only know for certain that the 30% figure are the ones that are prepared to stand on a picket line in January.

Clearly the company will attempt to minimise that figure between now and then by either offering incentives not to strike, or by pointing out the harsh realities of taking part in an industrial dispute. It won't be pretty, but their goal will be to make sure as few people as possible are actually striking.

Now, given the announcement regarding how few flights will be cancelled, clearly management believe the strikers will have only a marginal impact on operations. This means they have little reason to produce a better offer. I, for one, don't think crew can afford to go without pay for as long as management can survive the dispute.

What's more worrying, however, is the impact this is having on business. I've already seen a switchover of some key accounts to BA "just to be on the safe side". Now it's official and all over the news, hoards of individual punters are going to think twice about booking VS any time soon.

So the strike may be survivable, but I'm very concerned that the drop in business is going to have knock-on effects that will be far reaching. For everyone's jobs.

vsfsm

So even if only 1000 crew walk ou the door you think the company will be able to run that schedule?

When wimbledon weekend happens the company practicaly falls apart and they plan for that a year in advance

Not to mention gay pride.

More propaganda i'm affraid. Its a smart thing to say from the company but they can't predict the amount of crew who will walk out.

Good try

vs_lhr

Well, they are also saying the same to Flying Club members in an email tonight, so I'd say they were being pretty confident that their contingency plans will work.

No offence, but I'm prepared to believe the guys who have a little bit more experience than you in running an airline who no-doubt have been planning for this eventuality since the threat of a strike was muted.

Just because you're not privy to their plans does not make it false.

vsfsm

Every company in this situation has to be seen to be addressing the problem proactively. BA reassured there customers in the same way but they still had to get back round the table besause they couldn't take the risk.

Having worked in industries where this has happened, i recognise the planning and output from companies in this situation. The company are by no means confident that they will not be affected massively on the day. All we really know is that unless Virgin get back round the table a huge chunk of the work force will not be turning up for work.

vs_lhr

And that, it would seem, is what it all hinges on. Whether management will get around the table again.

Let's say, just hypothetically if you like, that they mean what they say, and there is no improvement in the offer. What then?

Anti-ice

Well, this is a turnout - and a result for the long hard done by cabin crew at VS - i am glad that they are now in a position to say enough is enough.

I worked for VS in the 90's, within weeks i had to rent my house out and was very close to losing my car too - the pay was abominable - - and still is.
VS is a company of quality and they go to some fun places, but their crew have had to suffer years of poor pay in a demanding environment , whilst seeing money thrown at dozens of ventures in the name of global branding.

There will no doubt be a propoganda war (as there always is in industrial disputes), so i say to all the crew (who probably have enough anger to do so already), to stand by the courage of your convictions, protect your future, and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise,say you don't need their comment - the only person that can reasonably comment on this - is another VS cabin crew member

Hand Solo

Well as I said earlier, I'm not VS cabin crew, although I have a friend who is and I do think they deserve more dosh. BUT, this does look a bit like a hiding to nothing. Assuming about 1000 voted to strike, I don't think anyone could reasonably expect any more than that to strike. The picket lines will all need to be on BAA property, and just as BA did, VS managment will lean on the BAA to restrict the picket lines to easily managed locations. Alternative crew report arrangements will be established with the result that nobody will need to cross a picket line to get to work. This will, of course, all be explained in a nice letter from the company sent to everybodies home address. On the strike days, it's likely that about 200+ of the strikers will be on days or downroute anyway, leaving a potential absence of around say 800 crew. Now I was told that Virgin crews can work 5 down on a jumbo, which is a hell of a lot, so if the company were to up the working down payment for the strike days from £10 to £50 there's suddenly a big incentive for the waverers to go to work, and if you can work five down thats a lot of crew to be spread across other flights. I'm not saying this is a good thing, but having watched the recent BA cabin crew debacle unfold I'd bet my hat that that is the way Virgin management will play it if it does come to a strike.

22/04

Lots of different opinions here- hope I will be travelling as pax as booked on 16/01 and hope VS management and CC can sort this out before then. I am sure you all want VS to be a success but have some sympathy with what look like pretty poor T&Cs.

Won't be deserting unless VS really messes me about.

glamourgirl!

Just to clarify virgin89 Im about to get my Tiffany pen so I do recall doing standby's here and there and that worked better for me personally.

Virgin89

I would think the pens will now be a thing of the past G Girl, so you nearly got it. Why continue with something like that now??

Things are about to change here for good. I think it's sad to be honest with you.

I hear so many people say " I love my Job" "I love VS" but they are prepared to bring damage to the company that I think will result in job losses all over.

I've been offered another job with a private jet company, which I wasn't going to take, however on advise I've accepted it. I can't afford to be out of work as many can't.

You are not strong enough to see this through and VS as a company are and will see this through, however I don't want to work here with all these changes that will surely happen in the future, due to this result.

Good luck to you all. You will need it.

If the posts on here were constructive and well written then I would think differently about many of you. All I see are children thinking a stirke will be a day off from their normal duties.

You stand to lose a lot.

vsfsm

Doesn't matter where the picket lines are if there are any. From my side there are 1200 people willing to take action and as its form my point another1000 or so who didn't return a ballot but will be willing to strike.
Thats 2200 ish

From the company side there are 1200 willing to strike and a % of those who didn't return a ballot but will be willing to strike.

Doesn't matter how you look at it, that's a lot of people not coming to work on the 9th and 16th and the company will be hard pressed to cover that no matter how they spin it. And they'll be spinning like a big spinny thing for the next couple of weeks guaranteed

scoobydooo

Wow,

Great result for us, the ballots returned, the strength of the vote. Naturally there will be some that say this is a minority and militants etc etc. Hard facts are that cc union very different to pilots union in number of ballots that will EVER be returned on anything, look back at all the numbers since this started earlier in the year.

This is a strong vote and hopefully the company will wake up and smell the coffee - this is a clear sign.

Lots of high emotions in postings today, still lots more propaganda to come but I have to say today post of the day for me is this one, I love it, I take my hat of to it.

Well done everyone Unite members are UNITED. Happy to be striking - NO, happy to have such a strong vote, YES.
I await lots of brand new posters telling us how bad we are.

firstchoice7e7

Im a regular VS pax, all i can say is good luck to the CC and i hope you get a deserved pay rise. Your current pay is pretty poor and its not enough to have a decent standard of living in the UK today. You have my support.

vsfsm

vsfsm

Firstcoice7e7

If your reading this, thanks for your support. People really are not aware just how bad the pay conditions (among other things) are at VS and we just hope that more people start to look at it before they berate our crew for using their legal right to change things.

Cheers mate

ikea monster

Let the small minority of VAA CC strike. After all it appears that only minimal disruption will occur. It seems evident that there is a militant divide amongst VAA crew - sooner that this is stamped out the better.

Under present day circumstances what they were offered was a very good deal, I understand that this has now been withdrawn.

Just remember this - there are thousands of young girls and boys who have applied to VAA and will be more than happy to step in too your Glam Jobs !!!!

You need 100% unity- Which you do not have. I hope it is very cold and windy on the days you minority plan to picket, that will make it even more pathetic.

As for those who cross the line, I think the majority of folks have your support- so don't panic. Good luck to the majority.

vsgla

IKEA MONSTER

You really must look at the actuall figures. The company are happy to announce that only 30% of the cabin crew community voted in favour of strike, but by the same calculation only 12% voted no.
What do you think the rest of the community will do when faced with the prospect of crossing a picket line?

Get over yourself and stop being told what to think by this company. How long can this company hope to keep the old "family atmosphere" before other departments start to become disgruntled.

You'll be in our situation soon, only difference being that you don't have the right to complain and you'll just have to bend over and take it

Unless you get a union ofcourse, but your all so blinded by the pretty little world you've got going on in that rented space you call your work place at the office you'll never be able to do a thing about it.

Leave it out.