BA Strike - Your Thoughts & Questions IV
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Whilst Dh & his Bassa weasels are contemplating their navels, real, professional aircrew have just rescued 150 civilians from the Libyan desert.
Enough said about Bassa, before I get banned (again)!
Well done to the military.
Enough said about Bassa, before I get banned (again)!
Well done to the military.
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Thought I would drop by again and see what has happened on the forum over the past few weeks.
I see that we are now comparing a military special forces extraction to the day to day operation of an airline.
Keep taking the pills.
Bye again.
I see that we are now comparing a military special forces extraction to the day to day operation of an airline.
Keep taking the pills.
Bye again.
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I think you should read this JdS to realise there have been some very substantive discussions posted in the past week:
http://www.pprune.org/passengers-slf...ons-iv-29.html
It is clear that BASSA has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory during the course of this dispute due to its administrative incompetence, refusal to engage in negotiation, and elitist senior longhaul CSD-centric agenda.
BASSA now faces censure from the Certification Officer, a possible High Court challenge for maladministration (the costs of which would be borne by BASSA's officers), and Unite itself could be liable for the full costs incurred by BA as a consequence of this strike.
Any future withdrawal of labour will not have any significant effect on passengers, and BASSA is not having a significant effect on forward bookings.
As an aside, it appears Holley's Employment Tribunal hearing judgement will be released tomorrow (Monday). Whatever the outcome, he will never work for BA again.
http://www.pprune.org/passengers-slf...ons-iv-29.html
It is clear that BASSA has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory during the course of this dispute due to its administrative incompetence, refusal to engage in negotiation, and elitist senior longhaul CSD-centric agenda.
BASSA now faces censure from the Certification Officer, a possible High Court challenge for maladministration (the costs of which would be borne by BASSA's officers), and Unite itself could be liable for the full costs incurred by BA as a consequence of this strike.
Any future withdrawal of labour will not have any significant effect on passengers, and BASSA is not having a significant effect on forward bookings.
As an aside, it appears Holley's Employment Tribunal hearing judgement will be released tomorrow (Monday). Whatever the outcome, he will never work for BA again.
Last edited by VintageKrug; 27th Feb 2011 at 08:32.
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As an aside, it appears Holley's Employment Tribunal hearing judgement will be released tomorrow (Monday). Whatever the outcome, he will never work for BA again.
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vintagekrug
There is a move on the part of Bassa to donate bonuses to something called Crewdefence. If 4000 strikers donated an average of 500 quid that would be 2 million!
I visited Crewdefence's web site. No accounts , no management named, nothing. What happens to money given and how is it, or how should it be, regulated?
I ask you because you seem to have a grasp of the legal niceties and I haven't got a clue.
With such large sums potentially being involved i'd have thought that there should be some sort of regulatory structure - otherwise you are not sure that you might just as well be sending your money to a long lost Nigerian relative who's tracked you down on the interweb.
Also, the web site says:
'CrewDefence exists to support your official union representation and the cabin crew community as a whole, with access to the very best solicitors and legal advocates.'
Surely the branch funds are there to carry this burden and Unite have a very large budget to play with? Furthermore I question the use of the term 'Legal Advocate' - that is something that could be applied to anyone.
I visited Crewdefence's web site. No accounts , no management named, nothing. What happens to money given and how is it, or how should it be, regulated?
I ask you because you seem to have a grasp of the legal niceties and I haven't got a clue.
With such large sums potentially being involved i'd have thought that there should be some sort of regulatory structure - otherwise you are not sure that you might just as well be sending your money to a long lost Nigerian relative who's tracked you down on the interweb.
Also, the web site says:
'CrewDefence exists to support your official union representation and the cabin crew community as a whole, with access to the very best solicitors and legal advocates.'
Surely the branch funds are there to carry this burden and Unite have a very large budget to play with? Furthermore I question the use of the term 'Legal Advocate' - that is something that could be applied to anyone.
Last edited by mrpony; 27th Feb 2011 at 14:42.
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mrpony,
I very much doubt that a large number of Bassa members will donate their bonus to this cause. Some may but I expect the vast majority will just spend it like anyone else would.
I very much doubt that a large number of Bassa members will donate their bonus to this cause. Some may but I expect the vast majority will just spend it like anyone else would.
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Litebulbs
I'd be concerned if you were being sarcastic.
Bettygirl
You know better than I about how CC might spend bonuses.
Still, who are crewdefence and how is spending allocated and recorded?
Bettygirl
You know better than I about how CC might spend bonuses.
Still, who are crewdefence and how is spending allocated and recorded?
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mrpony
I am sure there are posters on here who will contact the hyperlinked legal and financial sites displayed on the website. If they are happy, then I am sure the Bassa membership will be too.
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Litebulbs
Yes, I thought that for a moment but those are just links to sites that don't legitimise Crewdefence in any way.
If people are willing to part with their money at the end of the day it is their lookout. I just think it seems unattributable and unregulated. At least BASSA's accounts are meant to be operated according to a set of rules and it can be called into line if failing to do so.
If people are willing to part with their money at the end of the day it is their lookout. I just think it seems unattributable and unregulated. At least BASSA's accounts are meant to be operated according to a set of rules and it can be called into line if failing to do so.
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I think, and I am not an expert so may be wrong, that Crew Defence was set up by some cabin crew and not Bassa mainly because some of them wanted to finance some kind of test case against BA about the sackings and removal of staff travel and deductions of extra days pay.
If they want to waist their money, who are we to stop them.
These are my views and not those of BA.
If they want to waist their money, who are we to stop them.
These are my views and not those of BA.
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Bettygirl
I'm sure you are right. But that seems even curiouser to me.
1.Why would members of a branch of a Union that gets 1.5 million plus annually, and has the backing of UNITE, resort to finding their own legal funds?
2.For costs directly related to action taken at the behest of and with encouragement from its leadership?
3.Which legal cases are being funded by the Union?
All very bloomin' strange if you ask me. The only rational explanation is that Crewdefence is set up to fund those legal costs that the Union will not stump up for because the cases are too weak. In which case why say it is to support the 'official union representation', because it isn't! The lack of clarity about who they are and what they do and how and why leaves loads of questions about Crewdefence.
That's all.
1.Why would members of a branch of a Union that gets 1.5 million plus annually, and has the backing of UNITE, resort to finding their own legal funds?
2.For costs directly related to action taken at the behest of and with encouragement from its leadership?
3.Which legal cases are being funded by the Union?
All very bloomin' strange if you ask me. The only rational explanation is that Crewdefence is set up to fund those legal costs that the Union will not stump up for because the cases are too weak. In which case why say it is to support the 'official union representation', because it isn't! The lack of clarity about who they are and what they do and how and why leaves loads of questions about Crewdefence.
That's all.
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Look, as I say I am no expert, and my understanding may be wrong, but I believe it was started at around the time that DS and TW asked for the BA agreement to be put to cabin crew (the one that never was) and part of that agreement required Unite to agree to not take legal action against BA with regard to staff travel and disciplinaries.
So I believe that some crew were upset by this and set up Crew Defence but as I said I am not completely sure of my facts, so please do not assume I have got all the facts completely right.
These are my views and they may be completely wrong and they are definitely not those of my employer BA.
So I believe that some crew were upset by this and set up Crew Defence but as I said I am not completely sure of my facts, so please do not assume I have got all the facts completely right.
These are my views and they may be completely wrong and they are definitely not those of my employer BA.
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Bettygirl
Sorry to drag this part a wider debate on. I didn't mean to imply that you knew what the score was and that could have been better expressed as, "I'm sure you might be right".
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BA Vs Emirates - From PAX perspective
Having in the last 4 days travelled BA CW from Rio to London and then continued my journey to Mumbai Via Dubai on Emirates business class I am in a good position to review the 2 services.
This is the scale of the mountain BA have to climb, the management know it but BASSA are still of the belief that they are the custodians of the premier airline service. Time to wake up, the world has moved on and BA need to move with it and cannot possibly do it with the old BASSA millstone around its neck.
- Equipment - Got off an ageing BA 777 onto a pretty new Emirates 777 300 ER. The Emirates fit out was way ahead of the BA cabin with nice touches like wireless ICE control, electric blinds and the toilet bag provision was superior to that provided in BA's 1st. On a personal note I found the BA bed more comfortable to sleep in even though Emirates provide a mattress to lie on.
- Service - Emirates win here - Young, energised and keen to help Versus BA matronly seen it all before and lets get the blinds closed and get you all of to sleep approach. I found myself wondering how BASSA would react to having to manage mattresses in CW. Did Emirates management have to negotiate with the cabin crew union before introducing this touch? The prepare cabin for landing task was a pretty major undertaking on Emirates and they were given 15 minutes warning into Dubai but did it with a smile nevertheless.
- Cost - Well the reason I was on Emirates down to Mumbai was it because it came at less than half the price of BA CW.
This is the scale of the mountain BA have to climb, the management know it but BASSA are still of the belief that they are the custodians of the premier airline service. Time to wake up, the world has moved on and BA need to move with it and cannot possibly do it with the old BASSA millstone around its neck.
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"....young, energised vs matronly...." would probably be seen as discriminatory by the Equality Act 2010 in a combined age/sex claim, in my view. "
You are , of course , correct that a company saying this would be liable, but this is a private individual expressing his/her thoughts as an opinion and therefore not subject to this legislation.
So once again, why ?