British Airways - CC Industrial Relations Mk VI

[Eddy]

How many Cabin Crew from other airlines would be happy to switch to BA if they were presented with the BA newfleet contract?

Anybody here from Virgin or Ryanair or the likes care to comment?

Hmmmm, a fairly silly question, I think.

I suspect it's safe to say that the majority of Virgin crew and certainly a large amount of Ryanair crew will have applied to BA in the past. We can't just throw jobs out to the lowest bidder. There must be a reason why BA crew were employed by BA and why someone working for Virgin wasn't.

- I fear this sounds arrogant, but it's not intentional.

[The Blu Riband]

Cannot be true about the Bassa reps, can it?

There are 2 on a CSD course at Cranebank; will they strike?

More to the point , why did they even get the job? I think it probably reflects the "Stockholm Syndrome" apparent in parts of IFCE management, and the DOMs.

[TightSlot]

ROE (Revised)

Repost below of ROE from earlier today - amended to add:

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Good Morning

Here are the ROE now that the strike is in progress.

• This thread is intended primarily for Cabin Crew - This is the Cabin Crew Forum
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[BlueUpGood]

I don't think so

[TheKabaka]

BlueUps source is good. Never known to be wrong. What feeble reps

[STS]

May I ask - given that the 53 out of 55, and a great deal else this early on will be speculative - at what point will it become increasingly clear what that genuine overall picture of crew and BASSA reps showing up for work/calling in sick/picketing will be? I read earlier in the thread that obviously because of staggered report times and crews currently downroute (I have friends who are not due to have to make a decision until the 29th as to whether they will strike or not) that it wouldn't be obvious anywhere near immediately and it could take days to see the full picture. I presume it will then be the usual management versus union figures to consider as well - but at what point does either side truly start to become concerned this week?

[Eddy]

It's important to know if they're on the sick for the strike period or if they're on long-term sick (which I know some of them are). There's a massive difference there. But sure, as a rep on long term sick, they should be calling the company to tell them they're on strike and to stop their salary. Failure to do that is morally questionable.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by STS

(I have friends who are not due to have to make a decision until the 29th as to whether they will strike or not)

Tell your friends they're wrong. They need to decide RIGHT NOW whether they're on strike or not. If they don't show up for work OR, if they're on days off but go to Bedfont or to one of the picket points, they're on strike.

If they are on days off and doing NOTHING related to the strike, they are NOT on strike and, when asked, shouldn't claim to have been. Infact, they should be honest and say that they didn't strike.

EVERY CREW MEMBER needs to have made a decision by now.

[STS]

Eddy,

It's been an argument that, I fear, has been repeated between many friends/colleagues/family members and many people reading here could relate to - relationships are being tested for many people either directly or indirectly impacted by the situation. The people concerned are probably at 35,000ft and on their way back to LHR, and will then go onto days off. They've made their position very clear over the past few months, in ugly terms on various internet sites, as to what they think of BA management. And, yet, I know they're attempting to dodge the bullet in a number of ways. No matter what anyone's viewpoint is on this, surely everyone can agree that, yes, all crew need to make an immediate decision as to what their course of action will be? Yes, I agree with you completely, and my friends know my opinions.

I truly feel saddened that, perhaps, despite the fact that I don't agree with every viewpoint you've expressed and you probably wouldn't with mine, that they didn't seem to have any chance to discuss the whole situation with crew such as yourself who are obviously willing to weigh up both sides of an argument and make their own decision. I worry that more crew are going to be like my friends and just walk based on blind trust of their reps. And I say this so reluctantly as I've had very productive working relationships with senior Unite people in the past.

[trafficnotsighted]

We have so been sold down the river without a paddle by our reps, they expect us to
stand up and be counted and they call in sick. This stinks

How many of those reps are Heathrow CSD's because the word on the grapvine is that have looked after themselves and tried to stitch the rest of us up.

[Eddy]

Great post, STS. And thanks for recognising that your friends were probably limited in the opinions they'd heard from other crew members.

Sadly, I was almost intimidated away from CrewForum becaus I would regularly voice a pro-BA opinion on there and that didn't go down well with the majority of the militants on there.

A couple of weeks after leaving CrewForum I was also deighted to have been sent a rude, insulting, almost threatening anonymous letter to my mail drop accusing me of "wanting to be a pilot and a manager". Neither of these things are untrue, but a lot of the other things the letter said - it was almost two A4 pages in length - were utter rubbish. Nevertheless, the ignorance of some people means they cannot recognise that just because someone is ambitious, they can still support their union and their colleagues in cabin crew.

But it's for those reasons that I, personally, have been very quiet of late in terms of crew discussions.

[ottergirl]

That sickness claim seems very suspect to me given that it is known that some of the reps have been suspended for various reasons. It is more likely therefore that all but 3 are unable to strike. If you are suspended it would be presumably difficult to withhold your labour!

Rally due at 1030 at Bedfont, should be on SKY news soon. Turnout estimated around 400 so far but, judging by other forums, is likely to be far higher by the afternoon. Pickets reporting good natured support from other airport workers particularly emergency services.

[jetlag22]

there are only 8 reps suspended. What happened to the rest? the reps due to start their csd courses have turned up to cranebank today as normal- ie not on strike

[Litebulbs]

That was the old rule from my time at BA. If you were on a course, then you did not strike. If they cancelled the course, then you went out the door.

[ottergirl]

Well even 8 reps means that the '53 off sick' quote is rubbish and I have spotted a few on SKY news who would be insane to be filmed if they really are 'off-sick'. How do you know that the 2 reps have turned up for training?

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by ottergirl

Well even 8 reps means that the '53 off sick' quote is rubbish and I have spotted a few on SKY news. How do you know that the 2 reps have turned up for training?

I agree. I wish we could see fact rather than speculation.

I'm fairly certain there aren't even 55 reps to go sick?!

[ottergirl]

Eddy, seems that there are only about a dozen Bassa reps in total so you are right about the numbers, if 8 are suspended and 2 on a course then we know the two who are off sick because they have been all over the news! Someone has posted it on CF so the numbers will be 'out there' soon.

[MrBernoulli]

I'm fairly certain there aren't even 55 reps to go sick?!

IFCE management are reporting precisely that - 52 out of 55 BASSA reps are currently reporting off sick!

A colleague in at the CRC has said he has just been taken off his trip as a cabin crew volunteer, as there are more than enough regular cabin crew to cover it. The same has happened to another colleague, and he is now being placed as a pilot on another flight. More flights are being added to the program in a pretty steady stream.

[powerset]

60%

news from crc is that 6 in 10 are turning up as normal and freighters are being 'stood up' to operate with crew. 60 have called in sick vs 25 under normal circumstances. I can't see this strike lasting very long. My thoughts are with the cabin crew who I believe have been badly let down by union leaders with a very different agenda.

[Cyber Bob]

Flights ex LHR

Seen at least 8 A/C (3 x 744) on taxi within the last hour or so - load factors/ crew levels a different story I guess

Also, heard on the grapevine that LGW crew are being bused up to LHR