BA Strike - Your Thoughts & Questions
What bull****. Until the 747 and the Woolworths' girls came in BOAC stewardesses were a class act!
but let's not denigrate the present staff, the job is different now, remember that before they were called Stewardesses they were Air Hostesses. World of difference.
Flight Attendant hasn't qot quite the same panache to it.
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Air Hostesses
In BOAC photographic unit, in 1957, one of our tasks was to take the passport and file photographs of all Hostesses, with the paperwork came their resume, from memory every one had been to private school followed by finishing school!! - normally in Switzerland - as you say a class act. 
(Disclaimer - Not that the present ladies are'nt equally classey!!)
(Disclaimer - Not that the present ladies are'nt equally classey!!)
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Two Tone Blue
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
Someone said that ... 
TruBlu123
Thank you for your consideration, but that will only happen if enough present staff make an issue of it, and why should they, by and large they aren't interested, and what can the affected pensioners do - go on strike ?
But staff ought to be concerned - if BA can welch on their promises and previous inducements to those already retired, think what else they might do when THEY retire, and how they might also be so suddenly kicked in the guts.
It's the HYPPO principle - Here's Your Pension P**s Off - and watch your back.
The issue has to be kept alive if there is any chance of a re-think, but I'm reviled and abused when I do that.
There are other facets of S.T. 2009, too. Do serving staff realise that if they are now entitled to upgrade to a First or Club seat by virtue of their employment position, should they unfortunately die, then they immediately become Former Staff, and spouse of Former Staff are forbidden any upgrade whatsoever, not even the ability to pay the new 3 x fare to request a Club seat. Some present Captains might not know that !
Rather short sighted IMHO. Let's hope we can influence a change for those affected prior to April 2014.
But staff ought to be concerned - if BA can welch on their promises and previous inducements to those already retired, think what else they might do when THEY retire, and how they might also be so suddenly kicked in the guts.
It's the HYPPO principle - Here's Your Pension P**s Off - and watch your back.
The issue has to be kept alive if there is any chance of a re-think, but I'm reviled and abused when I do that.
There are other facets of S.T. 2009, too. Do serving staff realise that if they are now entitled to upgrade to a First or Club seat by virtue of their employment position, should they unfortunately die, then they immediately become Former Staff, and spouse of Former Staff are forbidden any upgrade whatsoever, not even the ability to pay the new 3 x fare to request a Club seat. Some present Captains might not know that !
Dawdler
Winston Churchill during WWII at the conclusion of the period known as the "Battle of Britain"
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Rebated fares
In the 1970's 90% fare rebate was a privilege (NOT a right) and we usually managed to get away on the flights we wanted despite being wait listed. Even then we were warned that if we did not report back for duty on due date and time we risked our jobs. We almost always managed to get aboard as pax levels were in the 70%ages. Now airlines are packing them in with levels over 90% and I advised my staff, at least ten years ago, that the rebated fare "privilege" should not be considered a major beneficial factor in working for an airline. My point is that withdrawing the privilege sounds more dramatic that it really is. That is in my humble opinion.
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pedantic drift
Wiggy you are quite correct. It was in the speech Churchill gave at the Mansion House lunch on 10 November, 1942.
This battle was not fought for the sake of gaining positions or so many square miles of desert territory. General Alexander and General Montgomery fought it with one single idea. they meant to destroy the armed force of the enemy and to destroy it at the place where the disaster would be most far-reaching and irrecoverable.... Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Henceforth Hitler's Nazis will meet equally well armed, and perhaps better armed troops. Hence forth they will have to face in many theatres of war that superiority in the air which they have so often used without mercy against other, of which they boasted all round the world, and which they intended to use as an instrument for convincing all other peoples that all resistance to them was hopeless.
dudleydick
Now airlines are packing them in with levels over 90% and I advised my staff, at least ten years ago, that the rebated fare "privilege" should not be considered a major beneficial factor in working for an airline
However ( as always), rightly or wrongly many Crew members have engineered their lifestyles around the ability to travel to and from London on rebate tickets. Maybe the Crew members should have considered that when making the decision to strike.
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If, as BA have suggested, only 765 persons went on strike and assuming BASSA are correct when they say 5% of the crew are commuters that gives about 38.
How many commuters have actually lost their staff travel?
Maybe none.
How many commuters have actually lost their staff travel?
Maybe none.
Eight Gun Fighter
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BA strike: Second walk-out by cabin crew begins
Dozens of BA flights were grounded during last weekend's strike
More British Airways flights have been cancelled as a second strike by the firm's cabin crew gets under way.
Dozens of BA flights were grounded during last weekend's strike
More British Airways flights have been cancelled as a second strike by the firm's cabin crew gets under way.
Went on strike once, lasted 17 minutes
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in 50 years the pound has lost 2/3 of it's value. Union power?
WW is not far off becoming the man of the year. Let's put his face on Time Magazine!
Bassa has been fighting the battle not for the good of the employees long term welfare as a Union should should, but for reasons such as the election of the new Union Chairman, the protection of perks of some of the Union reps and mainly because
they want to continue to have the power to control BA.
In the last reason lies the great economic downfall of (formerly Great) Britain.
Companies should be managed by management and staff should be represented by responsible unions which measure every step against the long term welfare needs of their people. This includes the union's need to ensure the company can remain profitable in a worldwide market place.
Who on earth EVER decided that if the unions were the holders of the ultimate power within companies this would be a good long term thing for the British economy and its people? Who let it come this far!?
Margaret Thatcher fought the battle and now WW still has to fight the same battle.
I am 54 now, and I can remember that when I was little one pound equalled something like almost 3 Euro's ! Now at a rate of 1.1 Euro that is one heck of a depreciation within hopefully just over half a lifetime!
Yes it is sad for all the misguided CC who voted for IA or even participated, but this battle has to be fought and won by BA to the benefit of all businesses in the UK and more importantly for the benefit of all employees.
Surely Bassa must go down in history as being the worst Union ever, who rejected a brilliant deal for the members for the benefit of... well of whom or what really?
Bassa has been fighting the battle not for the good of the employees long term welfare as a Union should should, but for reasons such as the election of the new Union Chairman, the protection of perks of some of the Union reps and mainly because
they want to continue to have the power to control BA.
In the last reason lies the great economic downfall of (formerly Great) Britain.
Companies should be managed by management and staff should be represented by responsible unions which measure every step against the long term welfare needs of their people. This includes the union's need to ensure the company can remain profitable in a worldwide market place.
Who on earth EVER decided that if the unions were the holders of the ultimate power within companies this would be a good long term thing for the British economy and its people? Who let it come this far!?
Margaret Thatcher fought the battle and now WW still has to fight the same battle.
I am 54 now, and I can remember that when I was little one pound equalled something like almost 3 Euro's ! Now at a rate of 1.1 Euro that is one heck of a depreciation within hopefully just over half a lifetime!
Yes it is sad for all the misguided CC who voted for IA or even participated, but this battle has to be fought and won by BA to the benefit of all businesses in the UK and more importantly for the benefit of all employees.
Surely Bassa must go down in history as being the worst Union ever, who rejected a brilliant deal for the members for the benefit of... well of whom or what really?
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vanHorck
I am a bit older than you, but I remember going to Switzerland in the late 1950's and there were about 12 SFR to the Pound.
Can't remember how many Guilders my father got when we went to Holland.
I am a bit older than you, but I remember going to Switzerland in the late 1950's and there were about 12 SFR to the Pound.
Can't remember how many Guilders my father got when we went to Holland.
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Pedantry and light humour.
My thanks to all of you who reacted to my quote from Churchill - especially those who failed to note the smiley!! 
My attempt at socio-economic definitions was also intended as light-hearted, and the more astute of you may have noted my liberal use of inverted commas. My point was that the BOAC 'well-brought up gels' may indeed have come from the higher strata of society, but the tasks they performed in the workplace re-assigned them as 'working class' for the duration of their duties.
All that having been said, I shall now devote some time to reading the newspapers for the latest collection of unverified facts and uninformed opinions!
My attempt at socio-economic definitions was also intended as light-hearted, and the more astute of you may have noted my liberal use of inverted commas. My point was that the BOAC 'well-brought up gels' may indeed have come from the higher strata of society, but the tasks they performed in the workplace re-assigned them as 'working class' for the duration of their duties.
All that having been said, I shall now devote some time to reading the newspapers for the latest collection of unverified facts and uninformed opinions!
A school teacher friend flew to the UK with ba and is due to return to Germany this weekend - with a party of schoolchildren.
Fortunately both ba's website and telephone answering service have been providing a first class information service about this stupid strike and I was quickly able to confirm that my friend's flight will be operated at the scheduled time, but by another airline.
I cannot believe that people as seemingly intelligent as ba cabin crew are subjecting themselves to the 'Red Robbo' socialists running their union. TV images of sour, granite-faced union 'leaders' talking in harsh Northern accents takes me back to the early 1980s and the miners' strike.
They didn't win, nor will Unite.
For heaven's sake, wake up and get a reality check, ba cabin crew. Your Ts and Cs are pretty damn good and Unite will only destroy you.
Fortunately my long haul business class flight next week is with another airline....
Somehow I cannot imagine that the Roz Hanbys of this world would have gone on a strike called by some jumped-up union nobody back in the days when BOAC was a proud company with high standards of cabin service.
Incidentally, there have NEVER been 3 €uros to the £. The €uro was probably worth about £0.67 at its weakest and is now around £0.90.
Fortunately both ba's website and telephone answering service have been providing a first class information service about this stupid strike and I was quickly able to confirm that my friend's flight will be operated at the scheduled time, but by another airline.
I cannot believe that people as seemingly intelligent as ba cabin crew are subjecting themselves to the 'Red Robbo' socialists running their union. TV images of sour, granite-faced union 'leaders' talking in harsh Northern accents takes me back to the early 1980s and the miners' strike.
They didn't win, nor will Unite.
For heaven's sake, wake up and get a reality check, ba cabin crew. Your Ts and Cs are pretty damn good and Unite will only destroy you.
Fortunately my long haul business class flight next week is with another airline....
Somehow I cannot imagine that the Roz Hanbys of this world would have gone on a strike called by some jumped-up union nobody back in the days when BOAC was a proud company with high standards of cabin service.
Incidentally, there have NEVER been 3 €uros to the £. The €uro was probably worth about £0.67 at its weakest and is now around £0.90.
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Finncapt
I can remember it being 5 Guilders 75 cents but I have recollections about 7 guiders something too...
At 2,20 Guilders for a Euro at the Euro introduction date that makes it 2.61 Euros for a pound as my last exact recollection, honest!
Currently it stands at 1.11 Euros so the depreciation is a factor 2.35 at a minimum.
You could be right regarding the Swiss Frank too at the some time, somewhere in the seventies the swiss had a pretty bad economic time, with their watch technology suddenly being outdated and others.
Genuinely I believe the pound has depreciated substantially towards most currencies and the power struggle in the UK as to whom has/had control in companies is, at the very least, a major major factor.
Beagle, this link:
Google Answers: Exchange Rates: Dutch Guilder & Pound Sterling - 1978 and last pre-Euro
suggests that in 1978 the rate was 4.04 guilders to the pound. That's 1.84 Euros for a pound or a factor of 1.65 in 32 years and I am referring to post war , say mid fifties. The tables of the Fed don't go back after 1971 but there I make the rate 8.64 (Guilder to Dollar = 3,60, Pound to Dollar =2,40). That's even worse than what I suggested...
I can remember it being 5 Guilders 75 cents but I have recollections about 7 guiders something too...
At 2,20 Guilders for a Euro at the Euro introduction date that makes it 2.61 Euros for a pound as my last exact recollection, honest!
Currently it stands at 1.11 Euros so the depreciation is a factor 2.35 at a minimum.
You could be right regarding the Swiss Frank too at the some time, somewhere in the seventies the swiss had a pretty bad economic time, with their watch technology suddenly being outdated and others.
Genuinely I believe the pound has depreciated substantially towards most currencies and the power struggle in the UK as to whom has/had control in companies is, at the very least, a major major factor.
Beagle, this link:
Google Answers: Exchange Rates: Dutch Guilder & Pound Sterling - 1978 and last pre-Euro
suggests that in 1978 the rate was 4.04 guilders to the pound. That's 1.84 Euros for a pound or a factor of 1.65 in 32 years and I am referring to post war , say mid fifties. The tables of the Fed don't go back after 1971 but there I make the rate 8.64 (Guilder to Dollar = 3,60, Pound to Dollar =2,40). That's even worse than what I suggested...
Last edited by vanHorck; 27th Mar 2010 at 10:50.
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The following is from today's Daily Telegraph - is this 'old news'? or inaccurate?
I'm surprised not to have seen any comment about it on the CC Thread.
I'm surprised not to have seen any comment about it on the CC Thread.
Workers who take part in industrial action lose their pay while they are striking. But many BA cabin crew have discovered that during last week's strike, if they did not turn up for one day's work, they lost up to two week's wages.
This is because BA decided to strip them of pay for the full duration of a return trip, including rest days in between and the mandatory rest days at the end.
This is because BA decided to strip them of pay for the full duration of a return trip, including rest days in between and the mandatory rest days at the end.
Crew who fly to Australia, for instance, are rostered to work for 14 days – the amount of time BA allows for the crew to fly to and from Sydney, rest in between, as well as have four days' rest at the end. Crew due to fly to the States or Asia, who went on strike, lost six days pay.
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The damning pictures of British Airway's cabin crew they WON'T be waving on the picket line | Mail Online
Having details of expenses exposed like this will certainly not endear CC to the public or the rest of the BA staff.
BASSA have managed to create a situation where the press have decided to investigate further and it could brew another expenses story following the MPs in parliament story.
Oh dear what a can of worms !!
Having details of expenses exposed like this will certainly not endear CC to the public or the rest of the BA staff.
BASSA have managed to create a situation where the press have decided to investigate further and it could brew another expenses story following the MPs in parliament story.
Oh dear what a can of worms !!
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TTB
There have been comments about crew not being paid for the rest days after the flight that crew missed while striking. Bassa talks about in its latest release. Important message to Unite BA cabin crew from the joint general secretaries
The Volunteer CC are not trained on the 747s so cannot help with that side of the operation.
By the way my grandfather says he remembers getting 6.7 bazillion German marks to the pound in the '30s
Regards
There have been comments about crew not being paid for the rest days after the flight that crew missed while striking. Bassa talks about in its latest release. Important message to Unite BA cabin crew from the joint general secretaries
The Volunteer CC are not trained on the 747s so cannot help with that side of the operation.
By the way my grandfather says he remembers getting 6.7 bazillion German marks to the pound in the '30s
Regards
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Two-Tone-Blue:
I read that also. Its almost amusing that the strikers' are surprised that they aren't going to be paid for the down-time for the flights they refused to report for.
Its truly amazing how many individuals didn't fully think through what the consequences of their actions would be, and a shame that their Union did little to prepare them for the realities.
...also, is that really TWO WEEKS PAY FOR TWO FLIGHTS? Am I the only one who is surprised by that number?
I read that also. Its almost amusing that the strikers' are surprised that they aren't going to be paid for the down-time for the flights they refused to report for.
Its truly amazing how many individuals didn't fully think through what the consequences of their actions would be, and a shame that their Union did little to prepare them for the realities.
...also, is that really TWO WEEKS PAY FOR TWO FLIGHTS? Am I the only one who is surprised by that number?