British Airways - CC Industrial Relations Mk V
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Medley
t CF they are saying that Bill is getting desperate and that staff travel will always come back because commuters won't get to work. One even said unions will insist on it as one of the conditions for their members to return to work.
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Glamgirl
>>The letter adds that if a strike occurs, crew taking part would lose:
pay and associated days off for duties missed because of strike action
entitlement to staff travel benefits.
You may be right I only read the above. And assumed staff travel is withdrawn whilst on strike just as it is during sickness. Maybe the official letter says permenantly..
pay and associated days off for duties missed because of strike action
entitlement to staff travel benefits.
You may be right I only read the above. And assumed staff travel is withdrawn whilst on strike just as it is during sickness. Maybe the official letter says permenantly..
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The frenzy on CF must be reaching fever point.. Kind of like throwing raw meat to the lions, I imagine, or a red rag to a bull.(a particularly stupid bull in this case)
The trouble with bulls is is that they are stubborn and the email would have little or no effect on them. Those that are genuinely concerned won't voice their opinions for fear of being shot down in flames as usual.
It's sad that these BASSA supporters are going to change our working lives for the worse.
I started to draft a post and then read your caution re. posting any details
Just need to read what it says at the bottom of every email that we're sent. In the past, I have always asked for permission before posting anything.
Davecr,
All we can do is try and make our colleagues understand and make their own informed decisions, that's really important. I guess that's the difference between us and the die-hard BASSA supporters.
Trousers are allowed as part of the cabin crew uniform though personally I prefer skirts.
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The copy of the letter from IFCE I have seen clearly states the staff travel will be lost permanently.
Just out of interest does anyone know how many of the crew use staff travel to commute?
Anecdotally it seems like 25%, but that really is a guess. It could be quite an influential number.
Just out of interest does anyone know how many of the crew use staff travel to commute?
Anecdotally it seems like 25%, but that really is a guess. It could be quite an influential number.
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If you strike, we will recover the money by making you stay in the Travelodge or some other motel on the edge of nowhere
It won't matter if LaLa tells her minions to be nasty to pilots, we won't even be in the same hotel any more, probably not even on the same bus! (Crew issued with BA Micro Scooter to get to airport Ibis...)
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BASSA are finished even if they do or don't strike .If the vote comes back as a no (which i doubt it will) BA will pick and pick away at terms and conditions regardless of the assurances they have given.Look at the current climate and the LGW crew are working to these agreements .This is what BA have been waiting for, sadly BASSA have handed it to them on a plate.If only they had put up and shut up they could have avoided this big mess.I'm sick of the whole thing.
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Staff Travel Threat '95
Ladies & Gents,
Other forums full of comments like "they threatened taking away staff travel with the '95 strike but had to give it back straight away", stating legal reasons (can't descriminate against someone who participates in IA). Does anyone remember what happened in this instance?
Davecr
Other forums full of comments like "they threatened taking away staff travel with the '95 strike but had to give it back straight away", stating legal reasons (can't descriminate against someone who participates in IA). Does anyone remember what happened in this instance?
Davecr
Couldonlyaffordafiver
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From the email:
Anyone out there still with any doubts?
Edit: Crossed posts with moo, who has posted the entire mail, so hopefully that's the last of the doubters convinced.
In those circumstances, you would:
Lose staff travel permanently
Lose pay for any duties you miss if you go on strike, including associated days off
We would also need to review all costs in IFCE, including hotels. And of course I would be unable to maintain the assurances for your terms and conditions.
History tells us that absence rises significantly during industrial action. We will assume that anyone who does not report for duty during a strike is taking part in that industrial action.
Lose staff travel permanently
Lose pay for any duties you miss if you go on strike, including associated days off
We would also need to review all costs in IFCE, including hotels. And of course I would be unable to maintain the assurances for your terms and conditions.
History tells us that absence rises significantly during industrial action. We will assume that anyone who does not report for duty during a strike is taking part in that industrial action.
Edit: Crossed posts with moo, who has posted the entire mail, so hopefully that's the last of the doubters convinced.
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Dear Colleague
I am sorry to be writing to you again, but it is very important that you read this letter. It contains information that will affect you personally.
If you are a member of Unite, you are again being asked a question that will have serious repercussions for you, our customers and our company: whether you will support a strike or support our customers.
There has been talk of potential strikes for many months now. We cannot go on like this. In December we saw what our customers and the wider public thought about a strike. Their patience is running out. It is time to be absolutely clear about what will happen if a strike takes place.
I know many of you were shocked by the prolonged nature of the strike that Unite planned at Christmas, and the distress this caused for the customers you serve. It damaged our reputation and cost our company millions of pounds in lost revenue at a time when we are already facing record annual losses.
Since early this month, we have been holding discussions with Unite. We had already planned the next phase of the talks – and then on Monday the union told us that it was calling another strike ballot. As you know, we suffer financially as soon as there are headlines about strikes, because our customers start booking with other airlines.
We have a great heritage, but we must strive for a great future. The aviation industry becomes more competitive every year and as the news from Japan showed this week, even the most famous global airlines will go bankrupt if they fail to adapt to what is happening around them.
I have listened to what matters to you
We must bring our cabin crew costs in line with those in other airlines to ensure a bright future for everyone in IFCE and for our many thousands of BA colleagues who have already made contributions to the company’s cost reduction drive.
Over the last year, many of you spoke to me about how you want to approach those savings. You wanted a voluntary approach to redundancies. You wanted to keep your pay and conditions. And you wanted assurances about the future.
Our package offers all of these and meets our cost target. To accommodate the requests from crew for part-time working and voluntary redundancy, we have slightly reduced crew numbers onboard. There will be a two-year freeze on base pay (but not increments), new contracts for future crew, and changes to the worldwide disruption agreement that would put our customers first without changing the existing disruption payments.
If you do not support a strike
If the majority of you choose to support our customers and reject a strike, I will continue to offer these assurances. They would allow you to:
Keep your current individual terms and conditions
Keep your current basic pay, with 2%-7% increment rises this financial year and next for 75% of you
Keep your average variable pay through the offer of a monthly payment
Keep flying an unrivalled network of routes and staying in quality hotels while you’re there
Keep lifestyle choices, either by changing fleets at Heathrow or transferring to part time
Keep a commitment from us to keep talking with Unite about how we recruit new crew
Keep full union representation with an offer from us for Unite to represent future crew.
If you support a strike
Some of you have said that you voted yes in December, not because you thought it would lead to a strike but because you thought it would lead to more talks or a better deal.
What became clear was that voting yes means you consent to going on strike. Full stop. No-one expects it to be different this time.
We can only assume that another yes vote would again lead to an extended strike or series of strikes. This could have a catastrophic effect on our business and our reputation. This is very serious. As a company, we owe it to our customers and all our colleagues to do everything in our power to prevent this outcome.
Therefore before you vote, I want you to be fully aware of the consequences should you vote yes and go on strike. In those circumstances, you would:
Lose staff travel permanently
Lose pay for any duties you miss if you go on strike, including associated days off
We would also need to review all costs in IFCE, including hotels. And of course I would be unable to maintain the assurances for your terms and conditions.
History tells us that absence rises significantly during industrial action. We will assume that anyone who does not report for duty during a strike is taking part in that industrial action.
I understand completely that coming to work during a strike can be daunting. We all know of past examples of intimidation. This will not be tolerated and, if there is a strike, we would put in place measures to protect you. That is something we would talk to you about in more detail nearer the time. For now, I wanted you to be clear before you vote that you need to make an active choice about what you want for your future.
Vote no and back BA
There has been a lot of debate about whether the changes to crew complements were part of your individual contracts. We don’t believe they are. But that is now a matter for the High Court, which is expected to make a decision before the ballot period is over.
Your vote is extremely important. Please think very hard about how you will use it. It is not a bargaining tool for the negotiating table. It is what will decide whether we have a disastrous strike or not.
I have been very frank with you about the consequences of your decision.
Vote no and you vote to support our customers. You vote for stability and retention of your current terms and conditions.
Vote yes and you vote to disown our customers. You vote for instability and a future none of us can be sure about.
This is a critical moment for us all. Alienating our customers, the people who pay our wages, cannot be the right way forward.
Vote no and back BA.
Thank you,
Bill Francis
Head of Inflight Customer Experience
I am sorry to be writing to you again, but it is very important that you read this letter. It contains information that will affect you personally.
If you are a member of Unite, you are again being asked a question that will have serious repercussions for you, our customers and our company: whether you will support a strike or support our customers.
There has been talk of potential strikes for many months now. We cannot go on like this. In December we saw what our customers and the wider public thought about a strike. Their patience is running out. It is time to be absolutely clear about what will happen if a strike takes place.
I know many of you were shocked by the prolonged nature of the strike that Unite planned at Christmas, and the distress this caused for the customers you serve. It damaged our reputation and cost our company millions of pounds in lost revenue at a time when we are already facing record annual losses.
Since early this month, we have been holding discussions with Unite. We had already planned the next phase of the talks – and then on Monday the union told us that it was calling another strike ballot. As you know, we suffer financially as soon as there are headlines about strikes, because our customers start booking with other airlines.
We have a great heritage, but we must strive for a great future. The aviation industry becomes more competitive every year and as the news from Japan showed this week, even the most famous global airlines will go bankrupt if they fail to adapt to what is happening around them.
I have listened to what matters to you
We must bring our cabin crew costs in line with those in other airlines to ensure a bright future for everyone in IFCE and for our many thousands of BA colleagues who have already made contributions to the company’s cost reduction drive.
Over the last year, many of you spoke to me about how you want to approach those savings. You wanted a voluntary approach to redundancies. You wanted to keep your pay and conditions. And you wanted assurances about the future.
Our package offers all of these and meets our cost target. To accommodate the requests from crew for part-time working and voluntary redundancy, we have slightly reduced crew numbers onboard. There will be a two-year freeze on base pay (but not increments), new contracts for future crew, and changes to the worldwide disruption agreement that would put our customers first without changing the existing disruption payments.
If you do not support a strike
If the majority of you choose to support our customers and reject a strike, I will continue to offer these assurances. They would allow you to:
Keep your current individual terms and conditions
Keep your current basic pay, with 2%-7% increment rises this financial year and next for 75% of you
Keep your average variable pay through the offer of a monthly payment
Keep flying an unrivalled network of routes and staying in quality hotels while you’re there
Keep lifestyle choices, either by changing fleets at Heathrow or transferring to part time
Keep a commitment from us to keep talking with Unite about how we recruit new crew
Keep full union representation with an offer from us for Unite to represent future crew.
If you support a strike
Some of you have said that you voted yes in December, not because you thought it would lead to a strike but because you thought it would lead to more talks or a better deal.
What became clear was that voting yes means you consent to going on strike. Full stop. No-one expects it to be different this time.
We can only assume that another yes vote would again lead to an extended strike or series of strikes. This could have a catastrophic effect on our business and our reputation. This is very serious. As a company, we owe it to our customers and all our colleagues to do everything in our power to prevent this outcome.
Therefore before you vote, I want you to be fully aware of the consequences should you vote yes and go on strike. In those circumstances, you would:
Lose staff travel permanently
Lose pay for any duties you miss if you go on strike, including associated days off
We would also need to review all costs in IFCE, including hotels. And of course I would be unable to maintain the assurances for your terms and conditions.
History tells us that absence rises significantly during industrial action. We will assume that anyone who does not report for duty during a strike is taking part in that industrial action.
I understand completely that coming to work during a strike can be daunting. We all know of past examples of intimidation. This will not be tolerated and, if there is a strike, we would put in place measures to protect you. That is something we would talk to you about in more detail nearer the time. For now, I wanted you to be clear before you vote that you need to make an active choice about what you want for your future.
Vote no and back BA
There has been a lot of debate about whether the changes to crew complements were part of your individual contracts. We don’t believe they are. But that is now a matter for the High Court, which is expected to make a decision before the ballot period is over.
Your vote is extremely important. Please think very hard about how you will use it. It is not a bargaining tool for the negotiating table. It is what will decide whether we have a disastrous strike or not.
I have been very frank with you about the consequences of your decision.
Vote no and you vote to support our customers. You vote for stability and retention of your current terms and conditions.
Vote yes and you vote to disown our customers. You vote for instability and a future none of us can be sure about.
This is a critical moment for us all. Alienating our customers, the people who pay our wages, cannot be the right way forward.
Vote no and back BA.
Thank you,
Bill Francis
Head of Inflight Customer Experience
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Medley
Sorry yes, '97.
I know its not contractual, however can BA "pick" on people who take IA? If they were to do this wouldnt they have to revoke staff travel for ALL cabin crew?
I know its not contractual, however can BA "pick" on people who take IA? If they were to do this wouldnt they have to revoke staff travel for ALL cabin crew?
Couldonlyaffordafiver
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davecr,
I would imagine you are correct that they cannot discriminate between someone who participates in IA and someone who doesn't. Interestingly, the email doesn't make that distinction. It says (I paraphrase) "if there is a "Yes" vote" not "those who go on strike".
So according to the letter I would suggest ST will be permanently removed from ALL cabin crew, whether they strike or not if there is a Yes vote.
High stakes.
...can't discriminate against someone who participates in IA...
So according to the letter I would suggest ST will be permanently removed from ALL cabin crew, whether they strike or not if there is a Yes vote.
High stakes.
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Bassa Bullies
Bassa will never get the message.They are bullies.
If anyone dares to question them or have the nerve to disagree they are turned upon.
If you had the audacity to post a tricky question on crew forum the vicious replies would be unbelievable.You could even get a ban.Remember that it's not even a Bassa forum but a crew forum.
It really is like living in a communist state where you don't question the leaders or else.
If Bassa had allowed people to voice their feelings and LISTEN to the people who pay their subs things could be different.
The only people to blame are themselves.Let's hope that everyone resigns from this pathetic apology of a union.
Sad really as so many crew from other airlines would love the chance to be represented by a union.An intelligent union that is.
Frankly I wouldn't trust Bassa to run a bath.
If anyone dares to question them or have the nerve to disagree they are turned upon.
If you had the audacity to post a tricky question on crew forum the vicious replies would be unbelievable.You could even get a ban.Remember that it's not even a Bassa forum but a crew forum.
It really is like living in a communist state where you don't question the leaders or else.
If Bassa had allowed people to voice their feelings and LISTEN to the people who pay their subs things could be different.
The only people to blame are themselves.Let's hope that everyone resigns from this pathetic apology of a union.
Sad really as so many crew from other airlines would love the chance to be represented by a union.An intelligent union that is.
Frankly I wouldn't trust Bassa to run a bath.
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What some crew seem to be forgetting is that the management is different from '97. WW will remove staff travel permanently and if crew don't report for duty when the strike is over because they can't get to work they will be liable for disciplinary actions (EGXXX).