Is joining Balpa a good thing?
 

What sort of advantages does one get by joining them?

do you think its a good idea?

Have a look at the new website

BALPA - Home

It should answer your questions.

A union gives its members a co-ordinated voice when it comes to negotiations on Pay/Conditions etc.
If you're not in the union, you don't have a say.

If you have an incident, the legal cover will help you. If you're not a member, the cost of legal fees could be very high, and remember you need to have been a member for 3 months before legal will assist!

Nearly all UK airlines have a lot of BALPA members. Some with membership numbers as high as 95%.

They have information on tax issues.

The subscription is heavily discounted first year then a further discount year 2.

Oh, and the subscriptions are eligible for tax relief at 66% I believe it is now.

Hope that helps.
:ok:

Subscriptions are FREE whilst in training and you can also sign up to their loss of license insurance at the training stage too. Rates are around £20-30 per annum per £10k insured depending on age.

I joined a few weeks ago, not signed up for the insurance yet though.

:ok:

Only really useful if your airline recognizes BALPA. If it doesn't then advantages are very limited.

Until the day you screw up (or your company decides you have) and require very expensive legal help. Or when your company decide to victimise/fire/etc you. You'll need help then too.
It's a form of inexpensive insurance. Only a fool doesn't join.

To my mind it is worth it for the professional insurance alone.

There are other methods of insuring yourself and buying indemnity but this to me, after 18 years in the industry, is the simplest. It might not be the cheapest but you get what you pay for.

Like all insurance policies it can appear expensive until you need it and then it seems a no-brainer. I am sure it would be extremely comforting to know there is someone between you and the smoking barrel of a gun after an incident.

There is also the financial and legal advice that comes along free of charge in the first instance!

HWB

Some say the first two initials in BALPA actually stand for British Airways. Certainly, for my airline, the legal assistance in helping us fight eroding T&Cs is not very forthcoming, which makes it difficult to recruit the members we need to force the company to recognise the union.

Some guys in my airline refuse to join them simply because of mergers in the past where they were shafted, and BALPA didn't do anything for them. Others have said they were helpful in times of need. Many however sit on the fence thinking it all looks like a waste on the monthly fees since the airline doesn't recognise them and BALPA wont do anything until x-number join - all a bit of a catch-22 position.

However, for a wannabe, it is free, so I can't see the point in not joining.

(I am a member of BALPA, though sometimes I do wonder why - even wear my lanyard at great personal risk to myself when in the crewroom:O)

As others have said, all you're really getting is some support when you really need it. I agree that the jury is out though when it comes to anything involving Ts and Cs etc.

If you're not a member though you're on your own...

so more or less the answer is yes then. :ok: