I support the idea of wearing some token to refect there is support for colleagues who have been sacked or suspended pending investigation. The choice and actions have not been thought through however. Some may say that that is a common theme through this dispute.

Hi, Litebulbs ... that's a fair comment. "Support for those sacked or suspended pending investigation".

Innocent until proven guilty ... a noble ideal. :ok:

Oh, hang on, some have been found guilty, haven't they?
Where does Mr Christakis Lambrou fit into that noble ideal?
Is he sacked, or simply suspended for evading Customs duty on a reasonably large scale? Or neither of the above?
Still, he should obviously be supported as well ... perhaps with a cloud of tobacco smoke at the MAN Memorial?

You are absolutely correct in one respect ...

Top idea, Baggers. BASSA's racecourse venue should provide ample space for a cavalry charge!

I don't think his sacking had anything to do with IA do you?
Regarding the yellow memorial idea....Well someone obviously is not thinking. Then again that seems to be endemic at BASSA at the moment.
What I find amusing is that they are not getting any 'Guidance' from full time officials. Or they are in a position to ignore it. The whole set up seems to work in a totally different way from any other Union organisation I've been involved with....The usual checks and balances seem to be circumvented.
I don't know enough detail of the disciplinary charges/circumstances to pass comment on the individual cases, especially before they have been through due process. However, like Lightbulbs, I do think that showing support is a legitimate form of action. The format of that action needs a lot more thought in this case.....

I'm just waiting for Duncan Thickett to write his next piece talking about the brutal bullying of the criminal should he lose his job (which he deserves).

I suspect that after being found guilty of smuggling this gentleman will no longer be eligible for an airside pass and will, therefore have terminated his own employment.

The monologues from the junta, and the conduct of meetings might be influenced, as suggested by another poster earlier, by the phases of the moon, but I suspect that the results of Southampton FC are the real issue. (Diplome - translating for you, that's a lowly English soccer club).

They were pathetic last year, and this year they have only won one competitive game - against lowly Bournemouth.
Before the September gathering of the cult, Southampton are at home versus Rochdale. I guess if they lose that one, the fraternal gathering will not be a happy place.

By and large I suspect the management and a certain small %age of CC deserve each other but can this following quote from HotWings really be true

I assume that means terrifying a plane load of passengers in the middle of the night?. Just a word of caution, dont let me be on a plane when this happens :mad:

There have already been frequent comparisons between BASSA members and the Tolpuddle Martyrs on the crews own forums!

I don't think so. I believe it was fat finger syndrome as someone attempted to fix the IFE (and no, it wasn't the pilots as the Currant Bun is reporting).

Hotwings/Snas
 

Reuters reported the inadvertant playing of the pre-recorded ditching tape whilst over the North Sea en route to HKG.
Not being ex-crew, I'm not sure who hit the wrong button but I can only hope this wasn't part of "you know who's" threatened guerilla tactics. That on top of wearing yellow in memory of the Airtours accident in Manchester 20 odd years ago would be too much to stomach.

I can categorically state that the Ditching Pre-Recorded Announcement cannot be triggered from the flight deck of a BA 747-400 and this was not triggered by a pilot as is being reported in the Sun and Mail. The PRA is a function that is controlled by the cabin crew along with all the other 'canned' announcements you hear on a BA jumbo. I very much doubt that this was a deliberate act, someone on the cabin crew of this service made an error, and is probably mortified by it.

Great Post from The Other Place...............
 

I enjoyed this post from the other place..........

"The BA CC strike WAS a success. No one "ruined" it for you and yet still you didn't get the result you wanted.

Over 7000 crew went on strike according to BASSA.
Only 26 crew turned up at CRC for the first wave according to BASSA.
Most of the departing flights were empty according to .....
Some aircraft were just doing circuits, according to.....
The whole operation was pretty much wrecked, according to.........

That looks like a pretty successful strike to me. "

I guess it just means that BA, BAA, the CAA and all those passengers from all over the world were lying, as BASSA always tells the truth.

The deranged Miss M has posted another missive to the nation over on the CC forum....there appears to be no point in replying to this "person" as they are so far away from reality probably only Mystic Meg would be able to contact them

Poor Miss_M. Completely detached from reality. A nice lady [we exchanged PMs some time ago] but with some form of mental block. Very sad.

This is probably a "cultural" post from me. In the CC Thread Miss M posted the following -
I am amazed that a relatively LOW LEVEL employee feels that they should be the "Manager of BA" and "decide the operations" of a company this size. What is it about the English culture that bottom end folks believe that THEY should have the FINAL say about "how" their company runs it's business? AMAZING ATTITUDE! ! !

Taking an isolated example, you say? NO - remember Mr Holley - who was fired because HE DECIDED that he would do Union business rather than the work he had been assigned by his employer.

Another isolated example as well you say?? NO - most ALL of the BASSA supporters at that time posted support for Mr Holley and demanded his TOTAL re-instatement. Simply amazing attitude by MANY people!

MissM excels herself:

I don't find it interesting, I find it laudable. And it does indicate what sort of management BASSA are dealing with: one that isn't going to put up with any more of their crap.

As for:

And wouldn't she just look as ridiculous as she sounds?

I'd love to see those photos.

:E

For them to compare indicates a complete ignorance of the Tolpuddle story. Shame, perhaps some research would give them something to reflect on....

CrewDefence
 

For any who don't know this is the self-funded action by crew who have lost ST to mount legal action to regain it.

Would anyone who reads/has insight into relevants forums help me with this ?


Since this action to retore ST is something that absolutely ought to be the responsibility of the union, could you tell me what crew are saying to their representatives about the fact that they - and not the union - are being forced to shell out to at least attempt to regain it ?

I would expect, logically, that they ought to be burying their reps under ordure fo doing nothing and saying nothing substantial. Is this the case ?

If yes, is it leading anyone to question the integrity of BASSA ?

AS - Unite has claimed that it is to also litigate against the removal of ST, as well as the crew-funded case. Though, there has been no confirmation that anything has actually happened, only public statements of intention.

Miss M's throw away jovial comment about putting on yellow eye shadow shows either someone who either gives no proper thought to what they are writing before posting or someone who doesn't care that this meeting has been linked to a substantial loss of life :mad::ugh:

Given the events in the past these people have linked their dispute to (Iwo Jima etc) one really does have to wonder about the moral standards (if any)of the people concerned

Despite my best efforts to get the union to acknowledge the fact that no one in my household are still members of the union resulting in ballot and newsletters like this still being received.
You can download the whole PDF via a button at the bottom of linked page.

This one is such a cracker I decided to share it with other non-members.!

We have everything this time, ABBA, Vietnam, George Patton, The Argentinean Missing, Psycho the movie and much much more….

But alas, little information of any sensible substance. Indeed it's quite terrible and Unite should know better, it's childish and unprofessional at best and a total disgrace at worst.

The contents of that PDF file = vile.

I wonder if the sacked crew in the picture were asked permission?

I can't say more, as I'll get banned from here for foul language. :suspect::=:mad::ugh::yuk:

What emotional, moronic claptrap in the newsletter. It still amazes me that BA ever recruited such people in the first place.

Now comparing sacked crew to the missing in Argentina ????..I think my question wondering if these people from BASSA have any moral standards has been answered...clearly none what so ever :mad: :ugh:

Fincastle, me old mate, my take on this is that the BASSA senior reps, who have a huge vested interest in maintaining the status quo, could not put a coherent sentence together. Instead, they are paying unemployed English graduates to write their copy for them, probably with a bonus for the most vitriolic, sensationalist rabble-rousing vernacular possible.
No doubt a suitable apprenticeship for a tabloid journalist!

That newsletter says that there is to be a Joint Union Meeting on 6 September at Kempton Park

It seems to me that excuses are being cobbled up to explain why no Industrial Action will take place before the upcoming Union elections.

Neptunus Rex
 

Assuming that they are going to work for either the Daily Mirror or the Star!

(Hope all is well with you in paradise.)

@ Finky and Neptune ... what price the concept that there's a close link somewhere to the Socialist Workers' Party and their copywriters? ;)

The disconnect with reality, and the attitude towards management in any form, and the distortion/lies, and general hyperbole?

Just a personal thought ... no substance for the allegation, of course.

Unite's broadsheet
 

Some odd points that arise from reading the above;

In so many words they say that the union has been decimated and is no longer an effective organisation and, that there are effectively no longer any reps. So far - so good - but then they ask for full or part time volunteers to be reps, no mention of any ideas of election of new reps, so the existing power structure still holds sway and cannot be challenged and nothing will change - so go forward suckers and do your duty!! (without pay?) - and vote as you are told to with a democratic show of hands.

It said that every dismissal or disciplinary action is one sided and totally wrong, wild generalities are being thrown around. Could we therefore see in print, from Unite or Bassa, details of the actions and reasons behind these actions, signed by the persons dismissed or disciplined and the penalties applied, so that we can better judge ourselves. Or of course a brief statement by the 'wronged' parties stating that they did not wish to pursue the matter any further.

I would assume that the idea of Bassa or Unite having a office of any sort in T5 would be totally unacceptable to BA, and that in any event BA's approval would have to be given before any tenancy in T5 was agreed.

Would I be right in assuming that the episode with the milk on bunks and, that of the ditching tape, constitutes industrial sabotage within civil aviation and as such warrants a prison sentence, which also has ramifications for anyone seeking to alter evidence and witnesses statements to any investigating body? :E

These are just thoughts arising of course, which may be simply due to the rather unprofessional nature of the communication. :rolleyes:

Re: The ditching tape. I think this was more cock-up than conspiracy. I agree with the rest of your points.

We seem to get a lot of comments from BASSA members but never hear anything from Amicus members. From what we read the two groups do not seem to agree on anything, Are they happy be associated with what is being published by BASSA,

I wonder if any Amicus members would like comment.

Entaxei says (my bold emphasis)
No doubt the convincing argument will be that WW looks favourably on the idea that new representatives come into being by the system of elections.

It seems to me that the BASSAmentalists are demonstrating more and more the puerile children they are. How can we determine anything else? Their childish drivel is an indication that they are lost for words - words that have any meaning and sense. A psychiatrist would have a rough time time trying to unravel their twisted minds as they resort to tactics of the desperate trying to impress. Holley was fond of childishness and some like MissM have defensive wall around them in an attempt to protect themselves from the reality of BASSA's forthcoming demise, with nowhere to go because there is no place to run. The door has been bolted and the horse is long gone.

They will play out this fiasco as long as there are a few of them, each giving sustenance to the other. A lost cause. A lost fight and a bunch of lost souls.

But that is a grown up comment?

Notice the big plug for "Lenny McCluskey" in that pathetic so-called newsletter.

Obviously 70's style socialists have BASSA firmly by the throat.

I actually want the numpty to win. I think being led by a clueless moron like McWitless will eventually result in a huge backlash against this kind of suicidal unionism, and perhaps lead to a purge of these dinosaurs and their layabout, dole-scrounging Socialist Workers Party infiltrators.

The switch cover in question would have a copper wire threaded through two holes. This thin gauge wire means that it should not be able to be operated by error. If the wire locking was done by a special set of pliers it should not be able to be undone and redone without anyone noticing, If however it had been done by hand which is a more probable way of doing it, it could be undone and redone afterwards. Hopefully the crew should have noticed this.
Hope that helps.

Notice that his name is spelt incorectly in that advert also.

Some people refewse to use there spilling chucker.

:E

I have a question about the "newsletter". It would seem that Nicky Marcus was suspended, charged with gross misconduct and faces dismissal. This because she spoke to the crew involved in the famous onboard vandalism incident and, according to BASSA, advised them to "stick to the facts".

Does this mean that she meant "stick to her version of the facts" or "don't tell them anything" and was therefore the rep suspended for interfering with communications between BA and its crew, once BA found out she was trying to help conceal the truth?

Of course it does. It was a rhetorical question.

Another BASSAmentalist gone hopefully.

Oh and finally: I read this on some site where they like to talk about flyers, and they were commenting on the BASSA response to it. This was quoted from a "forum".

Completely insane, no? I daresay some of our CC friends with access to the hell that is a BASSA forum could probably find more rabid examples of blind, competely misguided loyalty.

Shouldn't be too hard to finish off this bunch of zombies.

Of course there are no longer any Amicus members. (End of the official line)......The divide is still there because a lot of people joined Amicus because they were not satisfied with the results of being represented by the T&G. Others of course were from engineering backgrounds. Amicus was always a moderate TU.
They see this as a T&G/BASSA mess. A lot of the other sections who have reached agreements are from Amicus backgrounds.
Most members loyalties end with the the Local full time official or rep and are only interested in their own workplace. Most Amicus members away from Heathrow (Like the vast majority of the nation) have no interest in the dispute and indeed know nothing about it.
From a personal point of view publications, like the one under discussion at the moment, are an embarrassment. To compare anyone working in companies like BA with oppressed peoples who's struggles are a matter of life and death is absurd.