BALPA withdraw from Open Skies Court Case
BALPA withdraw from Open Skies Court Case
WTF???
22 May 2008 - 16:06
LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - The British Air Line Pilots' Association has withdrawn its court action against airline British Airways , a BALPA spokesman said, signalling a potentially costly pilots' strike has been averted.
Shares in British Airways climbed 3.8 percent to 210.5p.
"We have withdrawn the action," said BALPA spokesman Keith Bill by phone on Thursday. "We will give our reasons later."
BALPA had asked the court to rule that its right to strike over BA's proposed OpenSkies service was unlimited by BA's rights to establish operations in other EU states.
22 May 2008 - 16:06
LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - The British Air Line Pilots' Association has withdrawn its court action against airline British Airways , a BALPA spokesman said, signalling a potentially costly pilots' strike has been averted.
Shares in British Airways climbed 3.8 percent to 210.5p.
"We have withdrawn the action," said BALPA spokesman Keith Bill by phone on Thursday. "We will give our reasons later."
BALPA had asked the court to rule that its right to strike over BA's proposed OpenSkies service was unlimited by BA's rights to establish operations in other EU states.
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Good Call
Pragmatic and very sensible given the threat that the fuel price and economic situation is putting us all under. Why go on strike and make sure your job is on the line.
A new operation running 767s may not last very long anyway in the current climate.
A new operation running 767s may not last very long anyway in the current climate.
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A new operation running 767s may not last very long anyway in the current climate.
Trash du Blanc
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"Whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we'll ...well... er ugh... maybe surrender..."
"Why fight the inevitable. Just join the opposition - then you can help steer the outcome...." Makes me weep.
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Although I never supported strike action, this is a terrible outcome for all of us concerned. BA wins by default on a technicality. Very hollow victory when it will only create alot of bad feeling and lead to inflexibility elsewhere. The only real winners are some very clever legal eagles.
Someone from both sides need to get together and create something we can both live with and allow us to get back to the job of flying lots of smiling 'bums on seats' on time to make 10%.
Someone from both sides need to get together and create something we can both live with and allow us to get back to the job of flying lots of smiling 'bums on seats' on time to make 10%.
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lord,
I see the green eyed monster is still alive in you, I am pleased that we did our best, so we appear to have lost in the end and at the moment it all looks a bit pants for us nigels.
still, onto the next fight.
d2k.
I see the green eyed monster is still alive in you, I am pleased that we did our best, so we appear to have lost in the end and at the moment it all looks a bit pants for us nigels.
still, onto the next fight.
d2k.
The misplaced schadenfreude is as disappointing as it was expected. This was no win for BA BALPA or pilots in general. In the short term no-one will notice any difference but in the longer term this will come back to haunt us.
Controversial, moi?
lordsummerisle
I have never been an apologist for BALPA and resent being included in your smug post.
BALPA retained some first class lawyers and they have acted on their advice.
The fact that very recent EU law has effectively manacled unions is another debate.
I have never been an apologist for BALPA and resent being included in your smug post.
BALPA retained some first class lawyers and they have acted on their advice.
The fact that very recent EU law has effectively manacled unions is another debate.
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I don't propose to be any sort of expert here, but having followed the progress of this situation since the beginning, I would say that BA's grand strategy might be along the following lines:
a. Allow OpenSkies to grow to the point where a requirement to feed connecting passengers from short-haul European routes onto long-haul transatlantic flights ex-London no longer exists, enjoying all the cost-saving benefits that will provide the company.
b. Subsequent reduction of required short-haul capacity, thereby freeing up large numbers of slots at LHR / LGW which can be used by BA themselves for other long-haul routes (more profitable than short-haul), or alternatively sold, leased or rented to other members of Oneworld Alliance to generate cost-free revenue, whilst simultaneously transferring some of the risk of competitive transatlantic flights to other airlines.
c. Finally, further into the future, eventual transfer of operations ex-London to Openskies, now BALPA have given up their right to strike on this issue. (Is this time-limited, or has a de facto precendent been set now, by the way?)
And there you have it: in the long-term, a complete outflanking of the BA pilot body, at least as far as the transatlantic routes go, replacing it with crews from a cheaper cost base (OpenSkies), and having already removed a good proportion of the mch less profitable short-haul feeder routes into London, the whole game guarantees significant profits for BA in the medium-to-long run.
To conclude, I am very sorry Balpa managed to get themselves stuck here between a rock and a hard place, and I am somewhat concerned as to how this will impact the pilot body as a European whole.
This might be a day we all live to regret.
All a bit depressing really...
a. Allow OpenSkies to grow to the point where a requirement to feed connecting passengers from short-haul European routes onto long-haul transatlantic flights ex-London no longer exists, enjoying all the cost-saving benefits that will provide the company.
b. Subsequent reduction of required short-haul capacity, thereby freeing up large numbers of slots at LHR / LGW which can be used by BA themselves for other long-haul routes (more profitable than short-haul), or alternatively sold, leased or rented to other members of Oneworld Alliance to generate cost-free revenue, whilst simultaneously transferring some of the risk of competitive transatlantic flights to other airlines.
c. Finally, further into the future, eventual transfer of operations ex-London to Openskies, now BALPA have given up their right to strike on this issue. (Is this time-limited, or has a de facto precendent been set now, by the way?)
And there you have it: in the long-term, a complete outflanking of the BA pilot body, at least as far as the transatlantic routes go, replacing it with crews from a cheaper cost base (OpenSkies), and having already removed a good proportion of the mch less profitable short-haul feeder routes into London, the whole game guarantees significant profits for BA in the medium-to-long run.
To conclude, I am very sorry Balpa managed to get themselves stuck here between a rock and a hard place, and I am somewhat concerned as to how this will impact the pilot body as a European whole.
This might be a day we all live to regret.
All a bit depressing really...
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Unfortunately you can only fight battles for which you have the ammo. This was going to have strung out for years in the courts anyway, with countless counter-appeals and referals. The pilots union couldn't pay for such action, they find it difficult enough justifying their expenditure on Big Airways anyway, let alone a massive speculative punt on a dusty alleyway of European law.
If this is to be fought at all it's with the TUC in UK and the big unions like IG Metall in Germany etc.
BA have hired some smart lawyers, and they've earned their bonus. This profession is screwed. Not far behind it every other unionised industry in Europe. Regard the Holy Grail.
You might like to consider whether you're prepared to sit back and allow this situation to continue? Will you be writing to your elected representatives? Your MP, your MEP?
You can laugh at Nigel tonight, but this will come back to haunt us all.
I feel utterly sick.
If this is to be fought at all it's with the TUC in UK and the big unions like IG Metall in Germany etc.
BA have hired some smart lawyers, and they've earned their bonus. This profession is screwed. Not far behind it every other unionised industry in Europe. Regard the Holy Grail.
You might like to consider whether you're prepared to sit back and allow this situation to continue? Will you be writing to your elected representatives? Your MP, your MEP?
You can laugh at Nigel tonight, but this will come back to haunt us all.
I feel utterly sick.
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It was always going to happen, I know the BA lot did not want to believe it but there it is. BA found a way out very cleverly. It would have bought down BALPA financially......where do BALPA go from here....a lot of soul searching no doubt.
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Mr Mouse,
Smug?? Suppose must be some sort of achievement to be called smug by a BA captain.
"He did omit the last part of the statement to BALPA at the end of the ACAS talks. The last part of the statement after saying that BA would seek an injunction was that they would also seek damages for loss of revenue caused by the announcement of a strike. In other words they would try and bankrupt BALPA.
The smug smile rapidly disappeared from their faces when the following Monday, at a BALPA requested meeting, BALPA informed the BA team that they (BALPA) were appearing at the High Court within the hour."
Your words above, so did Balpa ignore the advice of their very smart lawyers earlier, or were they not as smart as you were led to believe?
Smug?? Suppose must be some sort of achievement to be called smug by a BA captain.
"He did omit the last part of the statement to BALPA at the end of the ACAS talks. The last part of the statement after saying that BA would seek an injunction was that they would also seek damages for loss of revenue caused by the announcement of a strike. In other words they would try and bankrupt BALPA.
The smug smile rapidly disappeared from their faces when the following Monday, at a BALPA requested meeting, BALPA informed the BA team that they (BALPA) were appearing at the High Court within the hour."
Your words above, so did Balpa ignore the advice of their very smart lawyers earlier, or were they not as smart as you were led to believe?
PPRuNe Person
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[/QUOTE]Smug?? Suppose must be some sort of achievement to be called smug by a BA captain.[/QUOTE]
Well your words are here on the forum for everyone to form their opinion of you, lordsummerisle. The consequence of this EU law appears to be to return millions of law-abiding workers in the EU to the status of serfs.
I won't be spinning this into anything, old chap, as there is nothing to spin. The victory is for the management of large EU corporations - presumably that amuses you in some way?
It would appear that BA has driven a dagger into the collective hearts of 3000 pilots. How likely are they to 'go the extra mile' now?
BA management seem intent in following the practices of a certain Irish airline, it seems.
Well your words are here on the forum for everyone to form their opinion of you, lordsummerisle. The consequence of this EU law appears to be to return millions of law-abiding workers in the EU to the status of serfs.
I won't be spinning this into anything, old chap, as there is nothing to spin. The victory is for the management of large EU corporations - presumably that amuses you in some way?
It would appear that BA has driven a dagger into the collective hearts of 3000 pilots. How likely are they to 'go the extra mile' now?
BA management seem intent in following the practices of a certain Irish airline, it seems.
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So just how much has this cost BALPA?
Asking as an interested and perplexed (non BA) BALPA member. So that's where my subs have been going all these years. It does stand for Big Airways Line Pilots Association.
Asking as an interested and perplexed (non BA) BALPA member. So that's where my subs have been going all these years. It does stand for Big Airways Line Pilots Association.
