British Airways - CC Industrial Relations & Negotiations
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Willie Walsh has stated that the costs of any industrial action (or the cost of the threat thereof) will be added to the department responsible's savings target.
Who chooses where the further savings (to cover the cost of the lost bookings, and strike, if it gets thst far) are to be made?
BASSA or BA?
Who chooses where the further savings (to cover the cost of the lost bookings, and strike, if it gets thst far) are to be made?
BASSA or BA?
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There is one component on any aircraft that is more important than any other; without it no planes can take off or land and no airline can operate - and that is its passengers.
We also believe that reducing the number of crew on board the aircraft, that provide that service, is a mistake and is not the way for British Airways to be successful; we believe that this will give our competitors a huge advantage.
And how, exactly, is a 12 day strike NOT going to give our competitors a huge advantage?
The savings that British Airways has imposed upon Cabin Crew has a value of £40 million; if the board of British Airways removes the impositions then we will recognise that by committing to savings equal to that amount.
This is not an 11th hour offer but a repeat of the sensible offers made many months ago; there is now and there was then, no need to adopt imposition as a way of doing business.
This is not an 11th hour offer but a repeat of the sensible offers made many months ago; there is now and there was then, no need to adopt imposition as a way of doing business.
Cabin crew were always willing to play their part in reducing costs.
Such offers were continually rejected to later justify the strategy of a leadership team that continually seeks the need to reinforce "its own right to manage".
Such offers were continually rejected to later justify the strategy of a leadership team that continually seeks the need to reinforce "its own right to manage".
If we are forced to take industrial action, then we will continue to do what we do best - look after people; as of today, we will begin to organise cabin crew to offer to work over Christmas as volunteers for charities throughout the United Kingdom that need our help"
I think the charities will love you. Are you going to do the work they request or dictate a better, more Union friendly way of doing it for them? Just a though.
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Henkybaby - thankyou for not taking your business elsewhere - just yet!
Further to our conversation a few pages back about how the Union have not consulted their members about ANYTHING, just look how they have sold them down the river now.
You are absolutely right about the 12 days strike not being on the ballot paper - who in their right mind would have voted yes for that? People won't be able to afford it. They won't want it (most will have made plans for Xmas trips with relatives etc). And they won't have the stomach for it.
And now, the Union, God love 'em, has volunteered the services of CC to go and work for charity.
FFS. Now, I fully support charities and do a lot of work myself for some, but what the......??
I'm so glad I resigned from this off-this-planet Union. Just registering my intention to work over the strike period - even on my days off. I have already told my kids that even though I should have been off on Xmas day, I might have to go to work. We'll have our Xmas celebration another day if necessary.
Bring it on WW! Please shut this Union down for all our sakes.
I am BA Cabin Crew and the above represents my own view and not that of BA.
Further to our conversation a few pages back about how the Union have not consulted their members about ANYTHING, just look how they have sold them down the river now.
You are absolutely right about the 12 days strike not being on the ballot paper - who in their right mind would have voted yes for that? People won't be able to afford it. They won't want it (most will have made plans for Xmas trips with relatives etc). And they won't have the stomach for it.
And now, the Union, God love 'em, has volunteered the services of CC to go and work for charity.
FFS. Now, I fully support charities and do a lot of work myself for some, but what the......??I'm so glad I resigned from this off-this-planet Union. Just registering my intention to work over the strike period - even on my days off. I have already told my kids that even though I should have been off on Xmas day, I might have to go to work. We'll have our Xmas celebration another day if necessary.
Bring it on WW! Please shut this Union down for all our sakes.
I am BA Cabin Crew and the above represents my own view and not that of BA.
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Sign of the Times for Airlines
Being a Qantas CC part of me understands what your fighting for, at QF we have 1 FSD 1 CS 12 CC on a 747, (over 10 years), we have 4 CC in the YCL cabin to look after 255 passengers, we gained an extra crew member when premium Ycl was introduced but have now lost 2 crew. We have new cabin crew employed under different employment conditions 240 hours in 2 months. We have overseas bases (LHR + AKL). Our A380 is dedicated so we don't fly on these flights (we have 20 coming). The old school CC have priced ourselves out of the market. Our company also is making a huge LOSS with our head just above the water. Our Irish boss AJ has made cuts but he has done it across the company starting at management. 1200 lost jobs. A flight can operate with these crew numbers, but it is no longer a individual service. You start at the from - work to the back, and if you push the call button no one is coming. Especially if 255 passengers all want to push the button. CC should be paid a higher pay, Long duties 17 hours at work, 10 days away from home, work Xmas public holidays, work back of clock shifts, not to mention this is a career where you strap into a seat of a fully fueled AC that belts down a runway and lifts off the ground to 35,000 ft. We deal with assaults, fires, deaths, medical, diversions, turbulence terrorism, abusive passengers, drunks passengers, demanding passengers. You have to do exams twice a year to keep flying. So Good luck with what your doing but compromise with a win/win outcome! I hope your strike is canceled with a positive outcome for both parties. Airlines need to put prices of tickets back to a sensible cost, a $25 airline ticket is ridiculous, if your not making money with what your charging, why DO IT!! FUEL is not cheap!!!!
QF Cabin Crew
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Vortex,
I think you are being a little harsh on the company as a whole.
Don't forget that ALL and I mean ALL other departments within the company from the baggage handlers, tug drivers, loaders, Turn round managers, checking staff, ground staff, flight crew etc. etc. etc. understood, recognised and accepted the need for change way back in the summer.
We, who are within those groups as stated above, are astounded at the arrogant attitude of the BASSA/Unite Union. They have failed at negotiation and now they are resorting to outright intimidation.
I sincerely hope that all of the flights I am due to operate over the coming strike period will operate. I also sincerely hope that WW legally blows this decrepit monster of a controlling Union out of the 21st century and back to the dark ages it belongs.
Enough is enough. The rest of BA staff are fed up with this controlling dinosaur meddling in the way the company is run. BA is not there for the amusement of the Cabin Crew and the minority who are the BASSA militants should realise they are playing with far more than the lives and careers of the CC but those of the whole company.
I now have the champagne on ice for the moment when BA gets the ballot declared illegal, possibly due to ballot papers being sent out to those taking VR who have a 'no jeopardy' vote, and bankrupt Unite. The UK will be better off without them both, BASSA and Unite.
To all passengers and potential passengers I can only hope that BA will be able to run a full service or at least a large partial service. I will be working and, as stated before, am quite happy to man a door and do a service in my Pilot uniform as I think BASSA are holding not only you, me and my colleagues to ransom but also the majority of their less militant members. They may have voted for strike but I think the 'nuclear' option came as a shock to many of them as well.
I think you are being a little harsh on the company as a whole.
Don't forget that ALL and I mean ALL other departments within the company from the baggage handlers, tug drivers, loaders, Turn round managers, checking staff, ground staff, flight crew etc. etc. etc. understood, recognised and accepted the need for change way back in the summer.
We, who are within those groups as stated above, are astounded at the arrogant attitude of the BASSA/Unite Union. They have failed at negotiation and now they are resorting to outright intimidation.
I sincerely hope that all of the flights I am due to operate over the coming strike period will operate. I also sincerely hope that WW legally blows this decrepit monster of a controlling Union out of the 21st century and back to the dark ages it belongs.
Enough is enough. The rest of BA staff are fed up with this controlling dinosaur meddling in the way the company is run. BA is not there for the amusement of the Cabin Crew and the minority who are the BASSA militants should realise they are playing with far more than the lives and careers of the CC but those of the whole company.
I now have the champagne on ice for the moment when BA gets the ballot declared illegal, possibly due to ballot papers being sent out to those taking VR who have a 'no jeopardy' vote, and bankrupt Unite. The UK will be better off without them both, BASSA and Unite.
To all passengers and potential passengers I can only hope that BA will be able to run a full service or at least a large partial service. I will be working and, as stated before, am quite happy to man a door and do a service in my Pilot uniform as I think BASSA are holding not only you, me and my colleagues to ransom but also the majority of their less militant members. They may have voted for strike but I think the 'nuclear' option came as a shock to many of them as well.
As a fare paying passenger, I'm moving on to schiphol, I will get where I want to be with an airline who values me. It adds 3 hours to my current trip, but way more preferable to the BA farce.
I'm not being harsh to the company, they have become nothing more than a hindrance, I don't care for the internal politics crap, only that I need to travel.
BA needs to fail in its current form and be re-born.
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Tomkins, since a fight always has a winner and a loser that means one of the two is mistaken...
Not sure how your logic works though...
And Vortex: AF is very prone to strikes too! If you don't want strikes, move to an Asian carrier.
Not sure how your logic works though...
And Vortex: AF is very prone to strikes too! If you don't want strikes, move to an Asian carrier.
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qstar,you make several very good points...the role of cabin crew is not just tea or coffee,chicken or beef.the passengers expect and receive so much more from full service carriers.the cutbacks cannot deliver the levels of service that the regular passengers expect and pay for.travelling in world traveller plus,club world,or first with BA is a very different product.to expect a reduced crew compliment to deliver the advertised standards of service is totally unrealistic,with the csd boarding,the club galley operator checking the catering,this leaves 1 crew member to take coats,deliver newspapers and depending on departure time,dish out menus,washbags and attempt to provide drinks,just impossible.the whole service product need re-assesment and fast.
Couldonlyaffordafiver
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...the cutbacks cannot deliver the levels of service that the regular passengers expect and pay for...
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"CC should be paid a higher pay, Long duties 17 hours at work, 10 days away from home, work Xmas public holidays, work back of clock shifts, not to mention this is a career where you strap into a seat of a fully fueled AC that belts down a runway and lifts off the ground to 35,000 ft. We deal with assaults, fires, deaths, medical, diversions, turbulence terrorism, abusive passengers, drunks passengers, demanding passengers. You have to do exams twice a year to keep flying" a classic quote from Qstar.
Did you not realise this when you applied for the job?
Jeeez...award yourself a gold medal
Did you not realise this when you applied for the job?
Jeeez...award yourself a gold medal
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Henkybaby
think that you assumed one was pro strike
think that you assumed one was pro strike
So even if a fight is worth fighting one is not guaranteed a win.
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And Vortex: AF is very prone to strikes too! If you don't want strikes, move to an Asian carrier.
What is it about airlines that they think they are important. Guys you are losing millions by the day, you sell sh1t service for way too much. If I book a flight for 11 hours I expect to be looked after every minute.
Stands back to await the crap about paying several grand for the privilege of flying with an airline that thinks they own my money.
I'm not arrogant (cue a bunch of teenagers who think they are owed a living) but if I'm paying your salary then I expect you to earn it. When you bring value to a company then you can dictate the conditions. Oh sh1t, there's the problem
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qstar,you make several very good points...the role of cabin crew is not just tea or coffee,chicken or beef.the passengers expect and receive so much more from full service carriers.the cutbacks cannot deliver the levels of service that the regular passengers expect and pay for.travelling in world traveller plus,club world,or first with BA is a very different product.to expect a reduced crew compliment to deliver the advertised standards of service is totally unrealistic,with the csd boarding,the club galley operator checking the catering,this leaves 1 crew member to take coats,deliver newspapers and depending on departure time,dish out menus,washbags and attempt to provide drinks,just impossible.the whole service product need re-assesment and fast.
This strike is not about protecting passengers' service levels, or about who decides what meals are available, you are striking against Imposition. Nothing more.
Let the company manage their business, Bassa need to realise this isn't their company and they are not Bassa's passengers.
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So 92.49% with a YES vote does this not show that of a workforce of many types of people single,married,patners,mothers with children,both family members cabin crew etc etc a cross section telling you enough is enough we won't be bullied by this little Irish man. I along with thousands of my fellow cabin crew have mortgages,loans,rents,bills to pay but make a stand now or watch your ability to pay in the decline as BA hatches it's plans for New Fleet before our very eyes. We are doing this to make a stand be sure if you work in another part of the airline that Willie will come looking at slashing your terms and conditions. If only a cost saving made to the pilots was offered to cabin crew we would not be talking about this today instead be looking forward to Xmas.
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Honestly, BA CC is getting slaughtered in the press and in the public opinion. Unlike anything ever seen before the public is turning against the union and against the strikers. Most hope that BA will crush them. I think this is the worst PR debacle ever.
Telegraph:
That sums it up nicely.
Telegraph:
The changes will not alter the fact that BA cabin crew are well rewarded, earning twice as much as those on Virgin Atlantic, for example, while those on long-haul routes enjoy generous allowances. The cabin crews' response? To vote nine to one in favour of a strike over Christmas, one of the busiest periods of the year.
In a stunningly unconvincing statement, the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association (BASSA) said it was "conscious of the disruption" this would cause to passengers going on holiday or visiting family and friends over the holiday season. Its members should have the honesty to admit that this is precisely why they are doing it. They are cynically using the million-plus BA passengers expecting to travel over Christmas to blackmail the airline's management. And to employ the tasteless conceit of strikes over "12 days of Christmas" is simply offensive. These tactics belong to the industrial dark ages. This recession has seen many industries and workforces respond with great maturity – pay cuts, extended production breaks, part-time working – to keep companies going and protect jobs. Yet here we have BA cabin crew seemingly prepared to send their company to the wall in defence of their privileges.
In a stunningly unconvincing statement, the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association (BASSA) said it was "conscious of the disruption" this would cause to passengers going on holiday or visiting family and friends over the holiday season. Its members should have the honesty to admit that this is precisely why they are doing it. They are cynically using the million-plus BA passengers expecting to travel over Christmas to blackmail the airline's management. And to employ the tasteless conceit of strikes over "12 days of Christmas" is simply offensive. These tactics belong to the industrial dark ages. This recession has seen many industries and workforces respond with great maturity – pay cuts, extended production breaks, part-time working – to keep companies going and protect jobs. Yet here we have BA cabin crew seemingly prepared to send their company to the wall in defence of their privileges.
