Dear Colleague

I wrote to you on Friday asking for your views on some of the key issues we’re discussing with the trade unions.

There was an excellent response, so thank you for your input – it has been useful to get a clear update of what’s important to you, directly from you, at such an important stage of these talks.

One thing that came through loud and clear from the results is that the vast majority of you who responded do not want a pay cut. Instead you want a solution that minimises the financial impact on all existing crew, with no cut in basic pay.

Overall, based on what you’re telling me, I have made some changes to the proposal to including the following:

* We are no longer proposing the introduction of a separate Mixed Fleet at Heathrow

* Instead we will pursue the ‘integrated approach’ for new recruits – that is new crew, on new contracts but flying with existing Heathrow fleets, with promotional opportunities to a new single grade and contract

* We will open a 33% part-time contract for up to 150 crew who want to take up that option.


I have today (Monday 29 June) tabled a new proposal to the trade unions to include these changes.

I will communicate further as these talks reach their conclusion tomorrow (Tuesday 30 June).

Regards

Promotional opportunities to a new single grade? Does that mean the end of Pursers, or the end of CSDs?

DC3.

I understand the points made about leave accrual. However at present the situation is working for free equals a loss of two days leave. I don't believe it is ethical and I haven't checked legislation to see if it is legal. Part of me thinks the situation is that volunteers have in effect taken unpaid leave then worked as a volunteer. Thereby losing leave and accruing nothing. It may be that the payroll computer cannot comprehend the concept of unpaid work.

But as it stands unpaid work volunteers have lost annual leave, which I hope will be corrected.

Whilst it is good news that New Fleet will not go ahead, I think there is a bombshell coming tomorrow (D Day). Like you Dadog I too believe that New Fleet was always a bluff - right from the leaked documents last summer which was just all so very well enacted.

Perhaps all BA ever wanted was a New new contract? Now BASSA have handed it to them on a plate ...and a pay cut...and a 2yr pay freeze:{

Let's see what tomorrow brings- the demise of the CSD? Hourly rate? All of the above? Whatever the bomb shell, BASSA will be claiming huge victory now. The glory is all theirs.

Very well played Willie.:D

So talks do conclude tomorrow. Interesting.

Assuming that BASSA have come up with costed savings, it sounds like the devil will be in the detail. Maybe BA are giving BASSA a face saving way out?

Or maybe both sides are negotiating and making compromises.

I hear that negotiations for GSS and A scales have been given an extended deadline of 31st July. If the IfCE talks are now making significant progress an extension may be offered to cross the 't's and dot the 'i's of a final joint proposal.

Compromise or not, BA still have to extract the stated savings from each group or the whole house of cards comes down.

All of you desperate to give, give,give to management to appease them should consider the rewards granted to VS pilots who sought to appease the bearded beast by giving him cost saving concessions in order reduce the redundancy numbers. Their reward, ta dah! Round two, those extra redundancies are still to happen. Nice one Richard!

I smell a negotiating rat. BA have worked on 'new fleet' for over 2 years (that we know of). I have read Mr Francis email. Its a huge concession to make, but the email is sinister in what it doesn't tell. I also note that Bassa have not commented on winning this huge concession. There is clearly more to come, and I would suggest that the happy ending I look forward to may yet be further away that it ever was. Promotional opportunities to a new single grade and contract?

Newfleet represents half the savings target for IFCE. If Newfleet is scrapped in favour of an integrated crew then you'd have to tear up the WW and EF agreements to make the required savings and probably take a pay cut to boot. I don't think those sorts of concessions are likely to be on offer from BASSA, so something certainly does smell rat-like!

The new fleet was always going to be a non runner as it would be to costly to administer and set up.

Better to reduce the terms and conditions of current staff (pay and allowance cuts),reduce manpower (thousands already wanted part time working and severance), along with the added benefit that any new staff will be taken on on a much reduced package (forecast spending down)so that it will be easier to raise working capitol/loans in the future.

A victory for common sense perhaps ?

PC767,

Re your point about losing leave if undertaking unpaid work. I think the distinction needs to be drawn again here. The only people who will lose any leave under the BRS are those who take unpaid leave, staff undertaking unpaid work will retain their full leave entitlement.

MrB

New Fleet has been the biggest hoax of the century. The most time and effort Bill and Willie have spent on it is getting a secretary to type up a fake letter and then leave it on a photocopy machine!:D

The real victory is yet to be played out. They are after our t&cs and always have been. Now BASSA have left themselves little room for manoeuvre as it was THEY who offered the new contract scenario and a pay cut and a pay freeze! On that basis, they are now going to be hard pushed to say no to the required savings.:p

I am pleased that the LT has recognised that we don't want a paycut, but are prepared to work harder. Seems they are more in touch with what we want than the people who "represent" us.

Let's see what today begins...regardless the BASSA militants are already calling for a ballot.:ugh:

The devil is in the detail.

HiFlyer 14 quotes:

However the BA letter states:

Note the last two words:

Maybe I'm reading too much into this but given the relationship between basic and the allowance based pay elements there are possibly still some significant cuts in the pipeline!

PC767,Wrong, wrong wrong! You need to read the documents on the company intranet, not listen to the conjecture and spin! Quoted directly form those documents:

"Voluntary Unpaid Work (VUW) Q & As

Is there a minimum and maximum period of VUW?
The minimum period is 1 week and the maximum period of VUW is 4 weeks.

What effect will taking VUW have on my annual leave entitlement?
No effect - annual leave will continue to accrue as normal."

:rolleyes:

As the last post mentions, basic and allowance payments, could turn out to be a real pigs ear.

The oldies with high basic will want that untouched for pen pay reasons, however any reduction in allowance payments will hit very hard due the light tax on these payments.

The newbees on low basic can ill afford any reduction in basic, but they can also ill afford reductions in allowances as they using these payments to save for the future.

Add to this staff on diff pen deals, APS/NAPS/MPS.

Just another example of having staff on various T+Cs, it will be very hard to keep everyone happy with any changes.

Best of luck to all the CC, you may need it.

Apparently BASSAs offer has been valued at £173M and has been declined by BA. Does anyone remember what amount of savings BA asked for?

BA wants to save £82 millions!

Is that £81M total, or £81M this year and a further £81M next year? It'll be interesting to see over what time frame BASSA think their savings will be achieved. I suspect BAs costings of those savings will be somewhat lower than BASSAs.