BA Pilot Ballot results
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BA Pilot Ballot results
BALPA web site says the Vote returned 90% of which 86% voted in favour of strike action........an obvious message to BA management, however I was expecting at least 95% of pilots to say yes to strike......
Good luck to you all. I do wonder though if Willy Boy Walsh is pig headed enough to repeat what he did at Lingus.....lets hope not........
Good luck to you all. I do wonder though if Willy Boy Walsh is pig headed enough to repeat what he did at Lingus.....lets hope not........
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Passengers: I am truly very sorry that it’s come to this, but frankly I don’t believe we offer the kind of product worthy of your custom anymore. Any of us who were at work yesterday will tell you what a sham of an operation it has become. Beset with beancounters and fawning incompetent managers, the front line is starved of the people to make it run properly.
For years now the system has relied on overtime to patch up the chronically under resourced coal face. Even to the extent of engineers doing baggage handling to make up the wage packet at the end of the month – BA has robbed Peter to pay Paul.
Now the pursuit of the boards magic 10% figure has meant no overtime for the T5 move. Result? No people at the coal face.
Pilots: I’m sorry too. The fact is that no-one likes BA pilots, I don’t know why. It’s a bit like being a stormtrooper for Darth Vader’s Empire. The reality is that we are very hard working, dedicated and professional bunch.
We do not deserve this. I imagine that the British merchant mariners didn’t see the problem when the first British vessels started flying the flags of foreign nations. They do now. You might scoff at Nigel’s hubris, but if we go down who’s next. Maybe your job too? Will you have sepia tone photos of those old airliners with a British registration, you know, the last ones that flew with British pilots?
It’s my strike today. What will you do tomorrow?
Management: Oh. Don’t worry. I can’t begin to describe the contempt in which I hold you. You’re about to find out who your friends are.
Edited to add the point I wanted to make in the first place
Let's be clear about the point of this dispute.
This is not about money. This not about how hard we work.
This is about our employer; bringing in a cheap contractor; to do the work that we already do.
That will not stand.
I'll take on the opposition tomorrow. Today it's my management's turn
For years now the system has relied on overtime to patch up the chronically under resourced coal face. Even to the extent of engineers doing baggage handling to make up the wage packet at the end of the month – BA has robbed Peter to pay Paul.
Now the pursuit of the boards magic 10% figure has meant no overtime for the T5 move. Result? No people at the coal face.
Pilots: I’m sorry too. The fact is that no-one likes BA pilots, I don’t know why. It’s a bit like being a stormtrooper for Darth Vader’s Empire. The reality is that we are very hard working, dedicated and professional bunch.
We do not deserve this. I imagine that the British merchant mariners didn’t see the problem when the first British vessels started flying the flags of foreign nations. They do now. You might scoff at Nigel’s hubris, but if we go down who’s next. Maybe your job too? Will you have sepia tone photos of those old airliners with a British registration, you know, the last ones that flew with British pilots?
It’s my strike today. What will you do tomorrow?
Management: Oh. Don’t worry. I can’t begin to describe the contempt in which I hold you. You’re about to find out who your friends are.
Edited to add the point I wanted to make in the first place
Let's be clear about the point of this dispute.
This is not about money. This not about how hard we work.
This is about our employer; bringing in a cheap contractor; to do the work that we already do.
That will not stand.
I'll take on the opposition tomorrow. Today it's my management's turn
Last edited by Roobarb; 21st Feb 2008 at 16:13.
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For the guys joining as FO who think the seniority list will screw them at OS. You dont need to worry about that. The management are already planning to do that. I have been offered ,nay, pestered to attend a command interview at OS , how does that sit with your promotion? Ill tell you how. It fecks it up because just as in five years it will be cheaper to hire OS over BA its cheaper to hire me than promote you and then replace you. Same **** different depth my friends.Oh and dont forget the secondments OFFERED by BA not requested by BALPA. This is not about scuppering OS its about the line in the sand for our industry.
A Runyonesque Character
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JOINT BA/BALPA STATEMENT
British Airways and the British Air Line Pilots Association (BALPA) today agreed to refer issues relating to the launch of the BA subsidiary, OpenSkies, to a conciliation process with an independent third party.
The decision was reached at a positive meeting between BA and BALPA at the airline’s headquarters near Heathrow. Both sides expressed their strong desire to achieve a peaceful outcome.
Willie Walsh, British Airways chief executive, said: ‘We welcome the progress made today and are confident that a settlement can be achieved through conciliation which will protect our customers from the possibility of disruption.
‘We are proud of the professionalism and high reputation of our pilots and have never sought conflict with them.’
Jim McAuslan, BALPA general secretary, said: ‘The ballot result shows the strength of feeling of our members about the implications of the creation of OpenSkies.
‘We have no quarrel with the travelling public and have always maintained that these issues could be resolved through negotiation rather than confrontation.’
END
British Airways and the British Air Line Pilots Association (BALPA) today agreed to refer issues relating to the launch of the BA subsidiary, OpenSkies, to a conciliation process with an independent third party.
The decision was reached at a positive meeting between BA and BALPA at the airline’s headquarters near Heathrow. Both sides expressed their strong desire to achieve a peaceful outcome.
Willie Walsh, British Airways chief executive, said: ‘We welcome the progress made today and are confident that a settlement can be achieved through conciliation which will protect our customers from the possibility of disruption.
‘We are proud of the professionalism and high reputation of our pilots and have never sought conflict with them.’
Jim McAuslan, BALPA general secretary, said: ‘The ballot result shows the strength of feeling of our members about the implications of the creation of OpenSkies.
‘We have no quarrel with the travelling public and have always maintained that these issues could be resolved through negotiation rather than confrontation.’
END
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Balpa, if and when you do decide your strike dates, can you please coordinate them with BAA baggage computer upgraders / BA cabin crew unions / Gate Gourmet / French/Italian/Spanish ATC / Train drivers / the weather, and anyone else who wants to screw up my travel plans and then we can get all this all out of the way at once?
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As SLF
As SLF I appreciate that I'm stepping into a professionals forum.
Any strike over the next few months is likely to affect my travel plans in one way or another but......
Given the situation you face and what is undoubtedly a steady decline in T&C's over the years (I KNOW what that's like, it's happened to me over the last 5 years) as far as I can see you haven't any real option.
Yes it may Bu&&er up my plans. Stuff it.
Good luck!
DaveA
Any strike over the next few months is likely to affect my travel plans in one way or another but......
Given the situation you face and what is undoubtedly a steady decline in T&C's over the years (I KNOW what that's like, it's happened to me over the last 5 years) as far as I can see you haven't any real option.
Yes it may Bu&&er up my plans. Stuff it.
Good luck!
DaveA
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The 'collapso' family are off on their annual ski trip to the USA late March. Would you mind awfully consulting with me over your strike dates? 
Getting stranded by industrial action could happen on any carrier but it is a shame it may come to this with BA. Nothing against you pilots standing up for youselves but if Wee Willie Walsh plays brinkmanship to the extent that my plans get scuppered then I will be traveling with someone else next year. It would be my vote against BA management tactics.
Getting stranded by industrial action could happen on any carrier but it is a shame it may come to this with BA. Nothing against you pilots standing up for youselves but if Wee Willie Walsh plays brinkmanship to the extent that my plans get scuppered then I will be traveling with someone else next year. It would be my vote against BA management tactics.
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pilots should become shareholders
Hello, maybe I'm missing something(just a self-employed manual worker the last 30 years)
Why, oh why, have the BA "coalface" crew not bought huge tranches of BA shares?...their voting -power could surely be vested in a mutual holding company.
that way, you'd have savings invested for a rainy day.
you'd have a real voice in the running of BA
Part of BA's profits would return directly to you (to buy more shares?)
you'd have much better control of your own destiny
the company's success would be YOUR success.
This model works fine for the JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP...a department -store group which is wholly owned by those employed by it.
I realise this is not an"instant" solution,but it seems likely that BA will collapse under the weight of it's own corporate arrogance (or are the Fat-Cats just scooping off the cream,before abandoning the leaking ship?)
Drastic and unorthodox, I know, but there appears to be a lot of brand-loyalty (stretched to the breaking-point of many punters).
If you have faith, become a shareholder. Otherwise, continue to be badly -used or find a better employer.
*ducks behind parapet*
Why, oh why, have the BA "coalface" crew not bought huge tranches of BA shares?...their voting -power could surely be vested in a mutual holding company.
that way, you'd have savings invested for a rainy day.
you'd have a real voice in the running of BA
Part of BA's profits would return directly to you (to buy more shares?)
you'd have much better control of your own destiny
the company's success would be YOUR success.
This model works fine for the JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP...a department -store group which is wholly owned by those employed by it.
I realise this is not an"instant" solution,but it seems likely that BA will collapse under the weight of it's own corporate arrogance (or are the Fat-Cats just scooping off the cream,before abandoning the leaking ship?)
Drastic and unorthodox, I know, but there appears to be a lot of brand-loyalty (stretched to the breaking-point of many punters).
If you have faith, become a shareholder. Otherwise, continue to be badly -used or find a better employer.
*ducks behind parapet*
The 'collapso' family are off on their annual ski trip to the USA late March. Would you mind awfully consulting with me over your strike dates?
Getting stranded by industrial action could happen on any carrier but it is a shame it may come to this with BA. Nothing against you pilots standing up for youselves but if Wee Willie Walsh plays brinkmanship to the extent that my plans get scuppered then I will be traveling with someone else next year. It would be my vote against BA management tactics.
Getting stranded by industrial action could happen on any carrier but it is a shame it may come to this with BA. Nothing against you pilots standing up for youselves but if Wee Willie Walsh plays brinkmanship to the extent that my plans get scuppered then I will be traveling with someone else next year. It would be my vote against BA management tactics.
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I'm very suprised that BALPA has got excited about this issue. After all, they allowed BA to operate 744 freighters in their colours, but owned and operated by GSS for some years! (ex LH dog)
CV time for Willie?
Wouldn't be at all surprised to see him move to a Middle East carrier this year...
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86% in favour of the BA strike is about what you would get if turkeys were invited to vote against Christmas. Can someone please tell me what percentage of BA pilots are BALPA members?
Couldonlyaffordafiver
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Steve,
A lot of airlines (for example Easyjet), give their employees share-options to buy company shares at a favourable cost as part of their pay deal. BA don't and we've been after them for years.
Strangely, it's available to the senior management......
A lot of airlines (for example Easyjet), give their employees share-options to buy company shares at a favourable cost as part of their pay deal. BA don't and we've been after them for years.
Strangely, it's available to the senior management......
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86% in favour of the BA strike is about what you would get if turkeys were invited to vote against Christmas.
21 February, 2008
BA and pilots agree to conciliation
British Airways and the British Air Line Pilots Association have agreed to refer issues relating to the launch of the OpenSkies subsidiary to a conciliation process with an independent third party.
BA and pilots agree to conciliation
British Airways and the British Air Line Pilots Association have agreed to refer issues relating to the launch of the OpenSkies subsidiary to a conciliation process with an independent third party.
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I would say that is probably the largest percentage of votes "for" for any ballot in any union in the UK since the last time BA pilots were balloted.
There are not many non-union members in BA.
There are not many non-union members in BA.
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would say that is probably the largest percentage of votes "for" for any ballot in any union in the UK since the last time BA pilots were balloted.
Luckily for us, the company caved in to the demands and the strikes were not necessary, but we were certainly ready for action, with the braziers ready.
Good luck to the BA crews- you will have a nasty few weeks now with a lot of pressure from management. Ignore it- I am sure it will work out well for you.