BA - Common Issues
 

The moderators will forgive me for opening a new thread, but I cannot stand the fact that BA love us to feel like two (or more) companies! While I agree that someone starting with LGW SF needs more LGW specific info- and the same for LHR- there are some issues that are common to all of us. Whether they like it or not we are ONE company despite we all know the difference in contracts that "divide" us at present.


One issue which affects anybody from any department and indeed base is EG300.

This is the latest email I have received which I can openly say made me so angry and so upset I have even thought of leaving. Now it might only be the hormones doing the talking (god knows how hard I worked to get to where I am now) but I am so angry that I hope something major happens now or it will spoil my career. THEY simply CANNOT DO IT!!!How can they change the agreement so easily without consulting us first???By calling it "refinements"???

REFINEMENTS TO WORLDWIDE ABSENCE REVIEW INTERVIEWS (ARIs) – STAGES 1 & 2

"As you are all aware, absence is currently at unprecedented levels – especially on Worldwide. Additionally, keeping on top of Absence Review Interviews (ARIs) has been difficult. Consequently, we have reviewed the application of the EG300 process in IFS with a view to making it easier and quicker for all concerned. As a result, from 1 October we are refining the way we schedule ARIs.


Why change things?
Previously, if you reached an attendance trigger you would be sent a letter from the Attendance Team scheduling an ARI for a date in the future, sometimes as much as six months ahead. In addition, and on more occasions than we would all like, ARIs have had to be rescheduled or cancelled resulting in an increasing backlog. The refined method aims to deal with this issue.

What is an ARI?
It is a meeting conducted by a member of the Inflight Service Attendance Team.

During this meeting your level of absence will be discussed and we will offer you any additional support or a referral to BAHS if appropriate. We may agree an improvement plan with some attendance targets to meet over the coming months.

As an ARI is slightly more formal than a return to work discussion, you can bring a colleague with you if you wish. This is not essential however and the meeting can, and often does, take place with just you and a member of the attendance team.

How is an ARI triggered?
If you have had two or more occasions of absence in a rolling three month period or you have been absent for more than 4.5% of available working hours in a rolling 12 month period or you have been absent for more than 21 consecutive days, you will trigger an ARI.

What's changing?
If you trigger an ARI after 1 October your ARI will need to have been completed before you are able to fly again. If you can't attend the first, or a rescheduled ARI, within 5 days your ARI may be held in your absence.

After you have called the OST to confirm that you are now fit to fly, the Attendance Team will identify if you have reached a trigger in the EG300 process and call you with an interview time for the next day, if applicable.

If you do not attend this ARI another one will be booked for you within the 12-hour availability window. If you miss this second appointment, the ARI will be held in your absence. Once your ARI has taken place, you will be returned to 12h/24h until your flexi trip.

How will I find out when my ARI is?
A member of the Attendance Team will call you to let you know the time and place of your ARI.

What if I can't attend the first ARI appointment?
A second appointment will be made for you within the 12 hour availability window. If this too is missed, your ARI will be held without you.

Will I be disadvantaged if I can't get a colleague to join me?
No. The discussion is between you and a member of the Attendance Team and the outcome of the ARI will be based on that discussion

How will this help us tackle absence when I'm stopped from flying once fit?
Being able to hold the ARI as soon as possible after you have gone fit will help us identify any support you require to manage your absence more quickly."


I apologise for venting this out, people who know me well know how much I love(d) this company, but being a victim of crappy EG300 sub-laws myself I am absolutely beside myself :mad: :mad: :mad:

FBW,

You go girl. I do think the joint thread is a great idea. I would love to see more cooperation between the two units.

However can most LHR crew and more so the unions, honestly say hand on heart that they give a flying fcuk what is going on at LGW. The evidence I've seen over the years, unfortunately says no.:( :* :( :* :( :*

YD

That's exactly what I said in the LHR post flybywire! I totally agree with your anger and frustration!

I don't understand how the unions can help us if BA can change things like this at a drop of a hat, without consulting us and getting permission from the unions. I don't understand the point of the union? Ok, so a strike is one option we've got, but since BA seem to be allowed to change everything without consulting the unions, then are we gonna have to strike over everything to get what we want? It's not feasible and we wouldn't have a job anymore if it came down to that, so what I'm trying to say here and over in the LHR post is how can the unions really help us when BA just go ahead and do whatever they like anyway!?!?!?! I'm very worried, I must say. :(

Another thing...What actually happens in these ARI's??? I've not had the pleasure of having one!What happens if it is conducted in your absense? Is that a bad thing? Surely the same outcome will be achieved whether you're there or not, that being you're put into phase one of the 'process' (Please do excuse my ignorance on these subjects, I've not really taken much notice until now)

So, if you're a commuter from Europe or long distance UK, you have to travel for an interview the day after reporting fit, return home again and wait for a trip............Nice one BA!!

Unfortuantely Tess, BA maintain that commutting is your choice. They stipulate that you must live within 2 hours of base and that would be their reply if you ever mentioned that. Again, sad but true.

With regards to being treated differently, that is so true. But more by the management than crew. At LGW, we no longer have a proper canteen and area for airport stand by crew, all display stands for the new club world, etc are up at LHR only, staff shop has gone and as for the quiet room, I'd be better off sleeping in the car park! When I started 3 years ago, we occupied all 4 floors of JB House, now we have the 4th floor and OPS on the 3rd, down sizing???

I love my job and flying for the company, just that some areas are so badly led, starts affect morale.

Flybywire can you and your LHR and LGW collegues realise that there is more to BA then these two bases!!!! Crew at BA CONNECT are just as p:mad: ed off about things as you are!! The BA world does revolve around other places other than LGW and LHR why dont we all unite, there are an awful lot of use BACON crews out there if only you would take the blinkers off and look a little further than the edge of the M25!!!!!

Malowe, you are right. My apologises. Where are you based? If it is BHX, I collect my staff tickets from there, so feel free to give me a slap!!!

Although ba con are employee by ba it isn't a mainline contract, i'm sorry but it isn't, bmi has baby, ba has connect. There's no point in standing together because we're separate companies.

Offstand i would never slap you, you might enjoy it!!!! lol!!!! banewboi yawn and yawn again same old story from people who can never see past the M25 you are right in saying that we are sort of run as seperate companies but the bottom line is that BA ultimately pay my wages and yours. we all fly around on aircraft that are in the same colours, and from the customer point of view they dont see the difference!! we are all cabin crew at the end of the day regardless of base or contract maybe its time to take your head out of the sand.

SFG I think that BASSA/BALPA are hoping that the mere threat of a strike will help things along a little. Whether this tactic will work or not, remains to be seen.

The idea behind firing a 'single bullet' in terms of combining the pensions issue, EG300 and pay in one ballot is because it's pretty much guaranteed that EVERYONE in BA will have ONE of those issues that they feel passionately about.

For example, if BASSA put a ballot up just for EG300, or JUST for pay, these issues only affect a certain proportion of crew so a ballot would unlikely be successful. But if you heap in both of them issues, and add in the pensions issue as well, whether you are a senior CSD with two years to go before retirement or a new starter that started last year, you have something to gain.

I admit, it is a risky proposition. If we lose, we will lose on all three issues. And to be honest, when it's gonna cost BA £500million per year to maintain the current pension if it is not reformed, perhaps a strike at say a cost to BA of £40M per day will be a more attractive option to them!

Might enjoy it?? I left BHX (although was at circusair) at the end of 2000 and my rep still remains!! LOL!!:E

Anyway, back to the topic.................

I am sure that FBW and just under 15 000 other cabin crew members at the aforementioned basis are blissfully aware of how much more there is to BA

I might be mistaken but LGW is just over 8 miles away from the M25 (but I guess that depends on where your looking from and what your looking at :p

So I guess BA and its unions should really get involved in any and all future talks regarding T&C's for any and all other airlines, seeing as they are sort of separate companies?

Marlowe, I'm sure you have your issues with your company but this thread is supposed to promote communication between LHR and LGW so that we can stand united regarding alot of issues that are affecting US directly. If you read the first post on this thread that might have become clear to you. Apologies if this comes across as being sharp but seriously how is EG300 and the changes to ARI going to affect you? So you are sort of linked to BA, FANTASTIC!!!! shout it from the roof tops if you wish but that still isn't going to change the fact that this thread isn't:

'Let's discuss BACON, BA LHR and BA LGW'

No but it should be! things that are going on in BACON could well affect you sooner than you think.

Please feel free to tell me to get lost, or words to that effect, however, can these 'meetings' be held over the telephone?

Seems like a waste of everybody's time to rearrange, cancel, reschedule, travel, for something that 2 civilised people should be able to do over the phone.

That would be great in an ideal world 4pot.

However, in the original agreement between BA & unions, union presence/representation at any meeting/interrogation is a right of the employee.

If the interview was conducted over the phone this couldn't happen. The attendance unit could add/alter/omit things said or not said over the phone in their notes (everything you say in an ARI is written down).

In the interview the union aren't actually allowed to express an opinion or fight your corner. They are there to a) witness what is said and by whom. b) Ensure the interview follows the laid down procedure. And, 3) they can ask for an adjournement to the meeting if they feel the crew member is talking themselves into a P45!

I see thanks for the details.

I guess a 3 way call would work, however it would be harder for the union rep to give 'the stare' or a swift 'kick under the table' if such was needed.

Marlowe I am sad that you feel that way about my words. I specifically said "two or more companies" because I was referring not just to LHR&LGW but to other bases as well - although they are closing down most of them, look at MAN and GLA....

BAConnect are a fully owned subsidiary, and I do not want to sound rude or anything (believe me, *those* explicit and implicit discriminations that unfortunately make us at LGW very sad are far from being part of my character) and when I referred to LHR and LGW I also specifically meant new recruits needing proper advice - I am more than sure that recruiting and training at BAConnect, including contractual T&C are somewhat different from LHR and indeed LGW.
But I opened" this thread to discuss common issues to all BA employees, whether belonging to mainline, subsidiaries, or even franchisees I do not really care. The more we are the merrier.
At the end of the day as an example the club service in SH mainline is the same in GB etc and we might have the same issues we want to discuss!

So please do not react like that - I only know too well how it feels to feel the way you probably felt:ooh: (now make a smile for me, pleeeeeease!!!)

FBW

PS:Sarah....I have had an ARI and took my better half in with me who wrote down, word by word, all what the lady who wanted to offer me "support" said.....it's all crap I can assure you. She agreed with me (I would say she agreed with herself) an "improvement plan" which basically was "You cannot be sick anymore for the next 12 months. If you are, then you'll be in the :mad:" Mr FBW was beside himself and has been actively trying to shake things since then (with little success unfortunately!)
Considering that I am one of those who's never been late, always did the company favours when practically and safely possible, save their a*se in many situations including during very critical periods like 7/7 bombings etc etc, I couldn't stand the fact that they made me feel like a really bad employee for catching bugs from passengers and crew scared of EG300 alike. Not considering having to stand at the back of the 737 with doors open during refuelling "enjoying" the lovely british weather, turnaround after turnaround!! (by the way, health&safety act-1974 I think but not sure-will work for us too from now on, but only while in the UK...we'll see who is going to be in the :mad:...)
So I asked Jackie the "supporter" if she wanted to review my whole attendance history since it is an Attendance Review Interview and asked her to get my file and start reading it, but she pretended not to listen. Let's just say I sent letters to my PM, her manager and Suzanne Stass....surprise surprise still waiting for a reply :mad: but at least it's all black on white.

That day, with all my heart I said to Mr FBW: "I cannot take this anymore, either you get me preggers soon, or I will leave BA!" :E

HA!!!

I have just noticed that they have changed the wording Attendance into Absence........so it's now an Absence Review Interview......

PATHETIC PATHETIC PATHETIC..........

Day after day they are showing me that they value us less and less and they also think that we are only a bunch of trolly dollies after all....most of us have one if not more degrees and we can work out their stupid mind games.....
I promise, if not that I should keep my stress levels down at present I would keep fighting like I was doing before.
They are so good at selling smoke, we say in Italy...
Now It's about time they stopped agreeing plans and changes with themselves. I hope the Unions will act as opposed to bend over for a change.

Ipsa Dixit :E

FBW

Dunno what its like down at 'University Challenge' Gatwick but that certainly isn't the case at LHR. If it were then they'd have worked out that you can't keep taking far more days off sick than other UK cabin crew without expecting the management to do something about it.

I think we're talking two different languages here.

I am not talking about people throwing a sickie every now and then (or more often) because they do not want to fly to that destination or because they have a long duty or just because they had too much to drink.
I am talking about how long it actually takes to heal from some bug that affects your ears for example.

This EG300 policy is affecting not only crew at university gatwick, but also their majesty the flight crew. So many of them are in the process, most of them on stage 1, many on stage 2 and I think it's only one on stage 3.
You do not need a Doctorate to realise that this policy is not to "support crew who are genuinely sick" but to save BA a few pounds, even at the cost of harassing the crew member.

On my interview that ugly lady kept bringing up an episode that had happened a year before and had been discounted, and although I kept asking her to stop reminding me of it as it hurt me, she kept going on, making mr FBW really angry and making a fool fo herself as well. What had happened in the past had to be left in the past, we had already dicussed that and it was discounted. Full stop.

By the way, if you call in sick because you've had vomiting/diarrohea BA will discount the first 48 hours as FCO vol 2a says that for health and safety reasons you cannot fly after dealing with this stuff. Great news for people who have a bit too much to drink on saturday night then!
And the same thing should apply when pax hand you a bag full of sick or a dirty nappy then........

They want to play hard....we'll play their same game, exploiting those same rules that they have stupidly made for themselves.

One more question, is it that you go sick twice in 6 months, or sick twice in 3 months? I'm totally confused about this whole thing, cause I've just been rostered an ATI and I don't think I should have one because I was sick for 2 weeks in February with gastroenteritis (vomiting/diarrohea), which I picked up in Dar Es Saalam, which I provided a doctors certificate for, then I had to go sick for a day at the end of June. Now I thought if you had vomiting and diarrohea then that didn't count towards a sick day, so why have they pulled me in for this meeting??? Should I try calling the attendence support team and tell them?

Sarah my understanding is only 2 days are discounted when you have diarrohea under EG300.

LGW v LHR
 

I don't work in the industry. However, I did go out with a couple of Ba Girls. Both great girls, both LH. One at LGW and the other at LHR. Reading this thread has made me wonder whether their outlook was shaped by their base. Don't get me wrong, I know there is far more to Crew than just the job. I know you are all individuals. However, just for a bit of fun see if you can tell who worked where. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent!

Emily

1. Always concerned about her appearance.
2. Socialised down route if she knew people.
3. Tried to save allowances when on a trip.
4. Appeared a bit lonely.
5. Had sore feet.
6. Considered cosmetic surgery for boobs.
7. Been with the company a long time. Fed up and wants out but needs the money.
8. Trimmed beaver.
9. Razor sharp wit. 100% switched on cookie.
10. Drink - G&T.

Sophie

1. Not too concerned with appearance when off duty.
2. Generally socialised down route.
3. Used company card frequently on trips.
4. Had quite a few good friends.
5. had sore feet.
6. Did not consider cosmetic surgery.
7. Been with the company a long time. lost some enthusiasm but not all.
8. Shaved beaver.
9. Good with a quick reply sometimes.
10. Drink - Vodka and tonic.

Please don't be offended guys. Just a bit of fun prompted by the thread. I went out with these girls because they were cracking fun and great people not because they were Hosties. You all do a difficult, hard job and I appreciate that. keep smiling even if the quality of SLF, like me, is in decline. Lots of people are jealous of you. Happy Flying.

Forgive me for butting in, but as SLF I can't believe what you are all being subjected to.

If you're sick, you're sick. I don't patrticularly want ill CC serving me when you should be at home in bed recuperating. I don't know how the union works with you, but this really strikes me (sic) as being something that the union should go into bat for you.

Just my 2d-worth as an outsider.

Oooh, well that'd be why then! That's crazy, cause they make you wait 2 days AFTER your vomiting and diarrhoea has subsided before you go back to work! It doesn't make sense! Oh well, looks like I'm in stage one of the 'process' then. :=

Correct. That is the two days after your last episode of vomiting/diarrohea. If you are ill for 6 days then you feel fine you must take another 2 days to comply with FCO. You must be clear of symptoms for 48hrs before you can fly again.

So it is actually easier and less problematic for someone to throw in a sickie for 48 hours claiming to have had gastro-intestinal problems than for someone to be genuinely ill.

I wish I knew who is the idiot who got a huge bonus for coming up with such a ridiculous idea fo the EG300. While it can work for people on the ground, they have to realise that it simply cannot work for people in the air!!

Thick thick thick thick :ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

All,

Just to let you know, they didn't disallow any of my episodes of sickness and diahorrea. So therefore my two episodes put me in stage one. Oh goodie. I was told they would only discount with a doctors cert, and as I was off for only three days at a time I didn't have one. Next time however I will go to the docs and they will probably sign me off for longer. They just want to shoot themselves in the foot.

I am also away from work at the moment with an injury sustained at work, so guess who's going into stage two:O

The whole process is silly and it obviously isn't having the desired affect as sickness in most fleets is still as high as ever. Everything is put down to care and concern but we all know the real reason:hmm:

Just let them try and dismiss for sickness though:mad: Court of Human Rights springs to mind:ugh:

Please do not let the fear of going sick stop any of you from going sick when you are. The FCO states that you must only fly if you are fit to do so. Signing in when you are not is contravening the FCO's. Please do not do it, isn't fair on you, your colleagues or the passengers.

YD

Oh poor you YD!!
What happened!!! :(

A medical certificate doesn't mean anything to them, if they do not want to discount the period they won't. I had a medical certificate to open and close my sickness period and they still didn't discount it (I was absent for about 14 days in a single episode due to a problem with my ears which I thought was going to make me deaf....I was crying at night in my sleep due to the excruciating pain).

As for diarrohea/vomiting they only discount the 48hrs you need after your last episode, that is if I have a flight today, go home and am sick once because tonight I have had too much to drink, tomorrow and the day after I cannot go to work to comply with FCO, so I must be off sick (although I feel fine) for 48hrs. The company will discount that episode.
However, if for the same reason I am sick for 3 days the company and those idiots who have decided to work in this field (some of them really believe it would work with flying staff) would discount only the last 48hrs and the first day would still count towards EG300. So if you're sick again in the next 3 months you're basically :mad:

If it's anything like mine was, you'll find out about it accidently on your days off when you check your roster on the off chance your upcoming standby's have been changed. You'll then arrive to be handed a letter that "was" going to be sent to your home address telling you that you can have someone to accompany you. At that point, you'll be asked if you'd like to reschedule the appointment to arrange someone to be with you, probably in the hope that now you're there, you'll just want to get on with it on your own. Then just to add insult to injury, they will be most surprised to learn that one of your sickness's involved you being taken off the aircraft down route despite the fact that all the incident reports were done and the aircraft went out with 3 crew and came back with 2 (another sore subject!), so will discount this sickness making the whole thing a waste of time! Surely that should have already been on record. After all, they seem to manage to pick up when you've gone over your crew card limit quickly enough!

I'm just wondering, they're offering over time down at gatwick for yesterday and today, I'm on standby and I know quite a few othersare too, yet those on standby are not being used? :bored:

Also virtually the entire base is barely working yet they offer WW temps to do long haul only from lgw for the next few months. Now I know there are various factors to take into consideration but it seems to me like they are just wasting more money.:bored: For a company that is hell bent on cutting back and saving money etc. etc. it just doesn't really add up.

Is there anyone that could clarify this, or have any ideas on whats really going on at the moment please pm me.

Well this is totally ridiculous then! How could I be expected to go into work when I was vomiting at 30 minute intervals, couldn't even move cause of the nausea. I honestly thought I'd picked up Maleria from Dar Es Salaam it was that bad. They can't possibly expect ANYONE to go into work like that, so how can they put you in a process for being that sick? Makes no sense at all! I hope they note that I had to loose a BKK/SYD over it also so obviously I wasn't making it up! This process certainly needs some fine tuning!

If you only knew what really goes on in the engineering department :eek:

Charter an aircraft from Bae Systems Weybridge to EDI as an RJ went tech around 23:00 and was required for the flying programme the next day.

At the cost of £7,600, would it not have been better to take a Tech Delay and fly the spares up from LGW on the next available BA Mainline flight? Don't think an RJ100 would make that much profit on 2 sectors????

Come and join us on the ground there are still high levels of sickness usually the same old faces and nothing ever happens to them or to anyone else come to that. i very much doubt that on the ground level of sickness has decreased. I understand that the Compass has up to 400-600 blow out every day the higher figure at weekends and jubilee up to 100 daily. Does that sound correct, put it this way these are told to us by the logistics team.

I now personally know 2 pilots who are in the 3rd stage of EG300....if only I could replicate here what the interview was like and what they got told by their management, we would all have a big laugh.

"Take care of yourself, take some vitamins" hahahahaha!! How pathetic and patronising, :yuk: I heard that before.
If I catch a virus or a bacterial infection I am sick, whether I take vitamins or not. (btw some doctors say that vitamins are bad if you have a bacterial infection, as some bacteria use them as food to get stronger and more agressive)
Maybe BA's next step is to take blood tests of anybody who works for the company to see their level of antibodies and sack those who have an inferior number!?!?! :yuk: :yuk: :yuk:

The UK has a very nice group of people called the Health and Safety Executive.... their rules and legislation is pretty firm....

I suggest that someone gives them a tingle, eg in your specific case - demonstrate that you had a validated sick leave, were sick and attending to work during this period would have put you and pax and other crew at risk.... that BA is discriminating against you based on this "disability" and in the meetings above is adversely affect the H&S of yourself and other crew.... that the cabin is your workplace, etc...

I am actually surprised that the inflight safety dept hasn't discussed this with the leave team.... i am a safety manager, and had similar discussions when our leave teams tried to pull something similar!

We now conduct safety investigations where possible, and under just culture, if the reason for the injury/incident was inadvertent then leave team is told to back off.... likewise for sicknesses, we tell the leave team to conduct investigations not just go on raw numbers.... we also spot review to ensure they're not harrassing crew...

suggest put a rocket up the safety team's backside - they're supposed to help company AND crew!
But first hand part of problem is some crew abuse company provisions and call in sick regularly.... we all need to work together to solve this,

ALSO ALSO ALSO - UK HSE need to be involved because you have firm provisions for consultation where changes affect the health and safety of crew - this falls into that provisions... also applies in Australia btw...

suggest call or write to the HSE and lodge formal complaint anti-discrimination people...

New Ba Club Class Bed Video
 

http://www.heathrowtv.com/baclub.html

Your views...

Hmmm its nice, but personally I still think the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite is much better - I still cant get my head around the fwd facing/rear facing seating plan

Fwd/Rear facing seat configuration is copyright by BA and lets BA fit in an extra percentile of seats into the club cabin. Virgin and I am sure all other airlines want to be able to fit there cabins like this due to the extra $$$, but they can't. The club cabin accounts for 87% of BAs profits thus you could deduce from that there are alot of people who prefer it. With the new seats I am sure this will increase. Would you not prefer to have your own 'private space'?

I might be biased but the club cabin is lovely to work/travel in and I for one can not wait for the entire fleet to be fitted with the new club seats.:ok:

BA Industrial Action?
 

Was sent this email yesterday. I am no authority on this but it made interesting reading.

>Please read and pass onto all crew.
> >>
> >>All taken from the bassa website.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>just in from spending time in the BASSA stable. What I´m about to
> >>post is from the horses mouth......
> >>
> >>1) As of Feb 1st the upperdeck Psr is gone. The ultimate goal is
> >>have a 2 more gone by the end of 2007 leaving 1 CSD & 1 Psr on
> >>longhaul aircraft. The CSD role is also being looked at. Do we need
> >>one??
> >>
> >>2) CC89 reps are totally behind the BASSA action they are being
> >>held back by AMICUS who insist they must go to the enth degree to
> >>find a solution.
> >>
> >>3) SFG been told BA can no longer afford downtown hotels. Airport
> >>hotels are being sort.
> >>
> >>4) BALPA are not supporting us on our T&C´s issues. Pensions are
> >>our common denominator.
> >>
> >>5) Car stickers and other items will available shortly at BASSA´s
> >>expense. (Thank you Chief Wigwam for the idea).
> >>
> >>6) No big figures for severance. Statutory Minimum.
> >>
> >>7) T5 report time 1hr 10 before dept. Arrival 30mins.
> >>This will take SFO, LAX & NRT (new routing) out of LR and make them
> >>night stops.
> >>
> >>Quote from Mark Hassel: "Unions are history. Those were the old
> >>days. Negotiation is good but if you don´t agree will walk right
> >>through you. This will happen before our move to T5"
> >>
> >>I don´t know about you but that quote has got my blood boiling, let
> >>alone the issues we´re going to be balloted on.
> >>
> >>As a union we need 80% (office figure not mine) return to stop the
> >>BA train from steamrolling our T&C´S. It´s already started!!!
> >>
> >>If there´s still anyone out there who thinks it won´t affect them.
> >>Think on, Heathrow One Fleet is around the corner. VOTE YES for
> >>industrial action and protect our futures.
> >>
> >> This thread is for those people who have been asked to visit
> >>the BASSA website by colleagues so as to find out about the
> >>upcoming strike.
> >>
> >>Whilst I am by no means an authority on whats happening, this is
> >>what I understand about the current situation.
> >>
> >>1. HOW HAS IT COME TO THIS??
> >>
> >>BA and BASSA meet regularly, BA tell BASSA its proposals and plans.
> >>Normally what happens is they both negotiate, BA say what they want
> >>us to do and BASSA act on our behalf and agreements are made. One
> >>of the most recent examples of this is the Standby block, the
> >>starting hours, the hotel accomodation the night before an 0700
> >>start blah blah blah. Previous examples of this include Box
> >>Payments, MBT's, Back to Backs etc. These are things that BASSA
> >>have negotiated on our behlaf.
> >>
> >>The last time BA and BASSA met, BA outlined plans of what they
> >>wanted to do next, preparing us for T5. After this meeting BASSA
> >>had one of the quarterly meetings with its members and took a vote.
> >>The vote was if BA try and impose such and such, are we prepared to
> >>vote for industrial action?? There was a unanmous YES. So, BA and
> >>BASSA met again and tried to iron out the problems. BA would not
> >>budge and, acting in our interests BASSA did the same. Talks broke
> >>down and now we are being sent the voting slip to support
> >>industrial action.
> >>
> >>2. WHAT BA WANT US TO DO
> >>
> >>Reading this forum you can get some idea of what BA are asking for,
> >>some of it is speculation we will find out EXACTLY what it is in
> >>due course. Remember this, there will always be a bigger picture
> >>behind what they are seeking to do now. There will be more and more
> >>until they have got us eventually on
> >>
> >>1. Hourly/Daily rate to replace allowances, boxes and overtime,
> >>CAT, long day
> >>2. Lower standard hotels
> >>3. 3 crew on Airbus ( same level as current 737 at LGW )
> >>4. 1 CSD, 1 Purser on longhaul
> >>5. LA/San Francisco nightstops
> >>6. 5 sector days
> >>7. Removal of MBT's replaced with OFF days not fixed
> >>8. Single Fleet Heathrow
> >>
> >>
> >>These are things that our competetors do right now, Virgin,
> >>Monarch, easyJet. They all work to something called SCHEME. This is
> >>a set of rules governed by the CAA, some of you may be familiar
> >>with this already. FORTUNATELY due to BASSA and some serious
> >>negatiating, our agreements are different and we dont work to
> >>SCHEME, we have our Worldwide Agreement and a Eurofleet agreement.
> >>Do you ever wonder why crew who have worked at Virgin, easyJet, My
> >>Travel and every other airline in the UK all want to come to work
> >>for BA???Generally its because our conditions are better than those
> >>in place at those airlines.
> >>
> >>3 WHAT VOTING FOR A STRIKE MEANS
> >>
> >>Voting for a strike could be the very thing that stops a strike
> >>happening. Once BASSA announce the results of the vote, they inform
> >>BA. If the vote is a resounding YES, then BA may return to the
> >>table to negotiate further and reach an agreement. It sends a very
> >>clear message to the management at BA that we are not happy with
> >>what they are doing now, breaking agreements such as the EG300,
> >>taking away the breakfast allowance at LGW, the 900 hours carry on
> >>and all the rest of it. It also and more importantly tells BA that
> >>we are not just going to lay down and accept the things that they
> >>want us to do. It means that we want to keep what we have already
> >>got, with regards to pay, time off, crewing levels etc.
> >>
> >>The most important thing that voting for a strike means is that we
> >>are saying to BA, you have to go through BASSA first if you want to
> >>change anything. The reps act on our behalf, BA can negotiate with
> >>each one of us individually so they go through BASSA. If we dont
> >>support BASSA we are saying to BA, its OK, do what you like, change
> >>this, change that we will accept it, its fine, BASSA doesnt mean
> >>anything to us, forget about them, just do it.
> >>
> >>BA are not exactly skint, they are paying millions in bonuses left
> >>right and centre to managers who achieve cost savings. That means,
> >>by taking money off of us and making us work more, a manager at
> >>Waterside gets a huge bonus. Does that sound fair to you??? BASSA
> >>have agreed to many many things over the years to help BA out of
> >>the mierda, crew off a jumbo after September 11th, 3 licenses on
> >>longhaul without blinking, back to backs. We have always played
> >>fair with BA and helped out where we could because we all care
> >>about our jobs. Now theres no sign of any major problems at BA and
> >>they want to take everything away from us that made us want to work
> >>for BA in the first place.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>As I said earlier, this post is for those who want more information
> >>about why we are being asked to support a strike. I repeat, I am
> >>NOT an authority on whats going on and I have not been privy to
> >>things that BA have discussed at meetings with BASSA, I have been
> >>around just about long enough to see the way BA operate. Everyone
> >>can read about what BA management have said about us over the years
> >>including "monkeys can do that job" "We want a confrontation with
> >>cabin crew" "loyalty is not valued" the list is endless.
> >>
> >>If you are alarmed at this or you had no idea things were this bad
> >>between BA and BASSA, ask your colleagues on your next trip, if you
> >>enjoy what your job offers right now and want to keep it, you now
> >>have the chance to say to BA, I want to keep things the way they
> >>are now. Tell your friends about this, they may know something that
> >>you dont.
> >>
> >>I am so greatful to those cabin crew who were at BA before me,
> >>because of them I enjoy the things my job brings me now. Anyone who
> >>started in 97 or afterwards, we had to go through all of this
> >>before you started, we fought and did our best. We arent going to
> >>be around in years to come and now its your turn to make sure this
> >>union works. When the old timers have all gone, hopefully you will
> >>be heading the ship of BASSA, you will no doubt have your own
> >>battles with BA so remember this experience, it could be you
> >>writing the same post as I am in 8-10 years time.
> >>
> >>Going on strike one of the worst things you have to do in a job but
> >>hopefully by voting for one we can avert it. If it all turns to
> >>caca and we do have to do it, just remember why you are doing it

Just got bac from a B747 trip, 16 cabin crew.

15 BASSA, 1 in CC89.

16 out of 16 said they would ballot to strike. :D