British Airways vs. BASSA (Airline Staff Only)

[Pornpants1]

Carry on posting Litebulb! I like to think of you as The Guardian, I don't agree with most of the articles written, but it gets me thinking

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by Meal Chucker

Unfortunately the mass meetings are really only attended by the most militant of crew.....

I think that used to be the case, but now they're attended by people who care about what's going on within the company.

It was always a bone of contention for me, as someone who attended almost every Bassa meeting since joining the company.

People would never come to the meetings until such time as there was a real threat to our terms and conditions when they'd suddenly all come out of the woodwork.

The union needed continual support from its members to send a continual show of strength to BA's management, but it never got it.

Originally Posted by Meal Chucker

I left part way through the last meeting I attended in disgust.

I was close to doing the same at the last one I attended, but that's because I'm more moderate in my views than some of the more vocal members. I don't like confrontation or public displays of anger, and the meetings would regularly descend into both.

Originally Posted by Meal Chucker

There was no way I was brave enough to put forward a view or even raise my hand against a motion that was different the rest of 'mob', I honestly believe I would have been lynched!

While I don't think you'd have been lynched, you'd certainly have had to prepare yourself for a torrent of abuse, I suspect. It's impossible at those meetings to say anything against the grain.

Same is the case on Crew Forum and Bassa Forum and that's why few people who are even remotely open to the prospect of the company not being out to totally f*ck us over participate on those sites.

I left Crew Forum two years (or a year, I forget) ago for that very reason.

People struggle to realise that someone can be a union supporter at the same time as seeing the company's point of view.

[Litebulbs]

dwshimoda

That was the basic reason behind my LGW model, LHR wages post.

All is not lost, if you dump everything and start again. I blank piece of paper. Unite will be around after this is resolved along with BA.

[dwshimoda]

Unite will - and should be. I hope that BASSA wont be.

I can't see how the LGW / LHR argument can work - this whole strike has been about the imposition of 1 less CC. That's exactly what LGW have.

While you have huge ego's such as Len and Liz defending the indefensible, this will not get solved.

WW is in it for the long run, has the commercial high ground, and thanks to BASSA also has the moral high ground. At what point will people realise what BASSA, not BA, have done to them?

I went to see 1984 at the theatre the other night, some amazing similarities with some of the "BA bad, BASSA good" brigade...

[Litebulbs]

It doesn't work when you have positions that you are trying to maintain. It does if you have nothing but a blank sheet.

[MrMe]

Crewhusband

I believe there is BA support. Also see if she can be rostered with non-strikers going forward. She is in the majority but was very unlucky on that flight. She made the right decision IMO and should be proud. She is not alone.

[TOM100]

Does anyone have any insight/intelligence into loss of membership within BASSA/CC89 ? Is there no pushback from other areas of UNITE around the "Imposition" of a levy on other branches ?

They must have lost more members (or on the way to lose) than crew who took voluntary redundancy (and loss of union subs).......

[TOM100]

I find these comments from the uniteba website, quite worrying and quite Walter Mitty-ish. Does this include the Arora bullies ? :-

"The whole Strike experience has already been written about and the resulting emotion will remain with us. forever. The level of support you showed was so uplifting, the camaraderie was special and heart warming. We will never forget that open decked bus yesterday at Bedfont, crammed to the rafters with smiling faces and billowing flags, everyone completely impervious as the rain lashed down. It made us remember that the best thing about this job is always the crew. To everyone who helped out, whether it was serving tea, directing the madhouse that was the car park or those who just sang and danced on the picket line we would like to say, you were all wonderful. The stories that will surely flow from the whole experience will soon become legendary. Someone said yesterday, if I could just fly with everyone who picketed this job would be truly great again"

[Litebulbs]

TOM100

But is that any different to the posted camaraderie displayed on here to those that went to work?

[M.Mouse]

It doesn't work when you have positions that you are trying to maintain. It does if you have nothing but a blank sheet.

I am sorry to say but Unite/BASSA long ago gave up the right to start negotiations afresh with a clean sheet of paper. WW does not need to negotiate afresh, Unite/BASSA are almost beaten and the end is near.

WW gave them every chance and if he does anything but damage the union to the point it can no longer be the negative, unpleasant disruptive influence which I and many others have had to suffer for years then we will suffer the same again in a few years time.

The collateral damage suffered by the good people is an unfortunate fact of life in any serious fight. This fight will be won by WW. Unite/BASSA will be a spent force and a good few militants will no longer be employed by BA.

BA will be a happier and better company after the whole painful episode is over.

[OverFlare]

Just heard something that has amused me about LGW, the average no-show rate due to crew striking at LGW was approx 3 or 4 crew across each strike weekend and apparently the average crew sickness rate on a normal weekend at LGW is about 10 crew, so in real terms crew attendance levels improved across the strike weekends.

I've heard this one too. It does make sense though. At LGW there are always quite a few crew on airport standby to deal with no-shows (car breaks down, train running late, misread roster, down the pub, etc).

I imagine over the strike days everyone was just a bit more careful than they normally are about getting to work on time to make sure they didn't get counted as a striker!

Net result: a higher turnout than normal as a result of the strike.

I like to think only BASSA could achieve that.

[TOM100]

Hi Litebulbs.....

Hear what you say, jst think it's a shame when they talk about best thing about role is crew and camararderie blah blah, but OK to give other crew grief on a/c and those really horrid scenes outside Arora.

It's just all a terrible shame, IMHO the whole outcome is now entirely inevitable and lots of damage done in the process....in the same article there is talk of fighting to the bitter end. I for one am really not sure what they are now fighting for......do they really think WW is going to significantly cave when (strike positioned as "mother of all battles") he can operate such a substantive schedule and unite a huge proportion of his workforce.........

[poppypurser]

Sang and Danced? I'm mortified that many of my colleagues think and feel that was singing and dancing....many of us feel the lyrics are beyond tasteless and border on threatening behaviour and shouting s*** at an airline hotel...well that surely was dancing to the Union's tune?
So much for UK Law which allows pickets to demonstrate peacefully..
Yes, many of us who crossed the picket last weekend are incensed at this video.

[Litebulbs]

M.Mouse

That thought train does not solve any post dispute relations, but just enforces the opinion held from the start by BASSA members, that the man at the top was brought in to destroy them.

[Litebulbs]

TOM,

But whatever the outcome, the largest majority of all, the crew, will still be there. If he shuts down the business and restarts, the crew will still be there.

[TOM100]

agree LB. As Hiflyer states tho on what TsandCs and what damage will have been done. How strong will the new TU relationship be to influence rather a lot (as in the past). WW will have made the step change in powerbase and influence......lose-lose unite....and it would have cost them a lot of money (and credibility) imho, of course.....

[Litebulbs]

TOM,

It is a fair discussion point, but the action caused BA to spend £40m to maintain a reduced operation, whichever way you support. That has an affect.

[M.Mouse]

That thought train does not solve any post dispute relations, but just enforces the opinion held from the start by BASSA members, that the man at the top was brought in to destroy them.

No he wasn't. He was given the job to run the company. When I first spoke to WW a few weeks after his appointment he was adamant that costs throughout the company were too high and by that he meant unsustainable. It would appear that last year, with BA losing money hand over fist, everybody listened and agreed and negotiated except Unite/BASSA. They put themselves in a position where they needed destroying before they could cause irrecoverable damage.

Post dispute the strikers will either be sacked after 12 weeks or will have slunk back to work with their tales between their legs. The robust approach to bullying and harassment will ensure the remaining dregs are dealt with.

Notable how not one striker or supporter of Unite/BASSA has answered the question what is the strike for and what are the strikers seeking in settlement, given that they have turned down so many acceptable offers since the June 2009 deadline.

The cost so far and the eventual cost is almost insignificant given the savings that will be reaped in the future.

[Litebulbs]

So much emphasis is being put on a handful of people who have been robust in their opinions on crew who have flown, whilst legal action has taken place. It was a handful.

The industrial relations issues at BA will not end after 12 weeks. A resolution has to be found and the onus is on BA to find it. If the business just dismisses after 12 weeks without meaningful discussions to resolve the issues, then the business will be on the wrong side of the law.

[dwshimoda]

£40m

Litebulbs,

I'm not sure how (both sides are spinning) but each of BA's statements have said that despite the IA, end of year finances will be in line with expectations.

That surely is contrary to it having hurt too much? (As I said though, I don't know how!) Also, the constantly increasing share price must indicate it is a short term pain for a long term gain?

All I see is that at best the strikers get fired after the 12 weeks, at worst, all CC have the new deal (as highlighted by Hi Flyer) forced on them. No one wins in this. BASSA made sure of it.

DW.