View Poll Results: Should Chris Darke be re-elected as BALPA Gen Sec. (Straw poll)
Yes
59
12.14%
No
427
87.86%
Voters: 486. This poll is closed
Chris Darke to be re-elected!!! Vote
Join Date: Apr 2000
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Astounded by the letter. I would have expected him to try to be impartial ideally, certainly not so implicitly critical of JF.
Only thing that worries me is that it is a BA skipper standing for election. Smacks a bit of BritishAirways Line Pilots Association again. It would help if JF put his side of the story, and quickly!
Only thing that worries me is that it is a BA skipper standing for election. Smacks a bit of BritishAirways Line Pilots Association again. It would help if JF put his side of the story, and quickly!
Join Date: May 2000
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Pontius I've posted a reply to your concerns on a different thread, but to assuage your fears JF has no intention whatsoever of electing a BA line pilot or any BA representative to the position of GS. His sole aim is to buy us all time to find a better GS buy using professional recruitment specialists to find the best man for the job, instead of just the previous man for the job. CD gets over £100000 of our money each year and we should all expect more from our GS than just taking the credit for changes in union recognition legislation. As an association member I want him to spell out exactly what he stands for, a small chore that CD thought he could overlook until a challenger was found. There is no BritishAirways Line Pilots Association these days, if anything MGs letter showed exactly the opposite - that BALPA leadership will stoop to any depth to sideline the concerns of the BA contingent.
Join Date: May 2000
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Time to stop lurking..............I have been a BALPA member for 13 years.
My pay and conditions have not kept pace with my reasonable expectations.
Regardless of who is the General Secretary, if BALPA membership is at an all time high, surely its finances should also be at an all time high? ( As an aside, do all members pay 1%?)
I want a General Secretary who will work to improve my pay and conditions, not allow them to decline further in real terms.
I want BALPA to be less of an "association", and more of a UNION!!!
My pay and conditions have not kept pace with my reasonable expectations.
Regardless of who is the General Secretary, if BALPA membership is at an all time high, surely its finances should also be at an all time high? ( As an aside, do all members pay 1%?)
I want a General Secretary who will work to improve my pay and conditions, not allow them to decline further in real terms.
I want BALPA to be less of an "association", and more of a UNION!!!
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N2000
BALPA's finances are inevitably under strain. Each new member is entitled to unlimited legal cover and support - all good stuff of course. However if we are expanding in areas where remuneration is poor then 1% is not a lot towards these cost. Additionally BALPA has expanded its operation to increase contacta with other non-uk associations. This has led to an increase in overseas conferences/meetings etc... all very expensive.
Like you I would like to see BALPA be more of a union but I suspect that as long as we continue to be an Association of empolyees in different companies with inevitably different aspirations and problems such a change will never occur.
BALPA's finances are inevitably under strain. Each new member is entitled to unlimited legal cover and support - all good stuff of course. However if we are expanding in areas where remuneration is poor then 1% is not a lot towards these cost. Additionally BALPA has expanded its operation to increase contacta with other non-uk associations. This has led to an increase in overseas conferences/meetings etc... all very expensive.
Like you I would like to see BALPA be more of a union but I suspect that as long as we continue to be an Association of empolyees in different companies with inevitably different aspirations and problems such a change will never occur.
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Diesel
You said "Each new member is entitled to unlimited legal cover and support"...........yes, but only due to an incident/accident or such surely?
Surely overseas conferences etc should be done at minimum expense?
And do we need Airwaves and The Log as glossy magazines?
Once again, less of an association, more of a UNION would have more effect!
You said "Each new member is entitled to unlimited legal cover and support"...........yes, but only due to an incident/accident or such surely?
Surely overseas conferences etc should be done at minimum expense?
And do we need Airwaves and The Log as glossy magazines?
Once again, less of an association, more of a UNION would have more effect!
stilljustanothernumber
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Yes I want it to be more of a union too. The fancy meetings in nice hotels in nice places' are a thing which anoys many members, si stop them.
And above all, I'm most disschuffed with the rate at which Chris Darke has grown his salary: it should be indexed to the average pilots pay rise.
And above all, I'm most disschuffed with the rate at which Chris Darke has grown his salary: it should be indexed to the average pilots pay rise.
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Air Rage,
You and I must be joined at the hip. Your posting almost mirrors the letter that is now winging its merry way to New Road.
I am disgusted at MG's mis-use of BALPA resources in his thinly-disguised Darke manifesto and will be interested in his reply to the uses of an un-biased election.........even if it is by the likes of us, who were working and therefore not supreme enough to attend the politics of the Superior Meeting.
With luck he'll E-mail me and I will post the response.
Vote JF is what I say.
Pontius
Yes, the original one, spelt correctly with no bits added on to make a slightly different, yet very late in registering-type name
.......obviously not directed at AR
You and I must be joined at the hip. Your posting almost mirrors the letter that is now winging its merry way to New Road.
I am disgusted at MG's mis-use of BALPA resources in his thinly-disguised Darke manifesto and will be interested in his reply to the uses of an un-biased election.........even if it is by the likes of us, who were working and therefore not supreme enough to attend the politics of the Superior Meeting.
With luck he'll E-mail me and I will post the response.
Vote JF is what I say.
Pontius
Yes, the original one, spelt correctly with no bits added on to make a slightly different, yet very late in registering-type name
.......obviously not directed at AR
Join Date: Apr 2000
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So, as you will hopefully have seen by now, we agree about more than we disagree. As background, 
I must point out I have been known as Pontius since my ATC days, which commenced in 1966, predating you by three years 
but who's counting.
It's reassuring to see we agree more than differ.
Keep up the good work my little blossom, just try not to take yourself too seriously
Yours in amity,
Pontiuspilot
I must point out I have been known as Pontius since my ATC days, which commenced in 1966, predating you by three years but who's counting.It's reassuring to see we agree more than differ.
Keep up the good work my little blossom, just try not to take yourself too seriously
Yours in amity,
Pontiuspilot
Thread Starter
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It looks as though Chris "Mugabe" Darke has had his cage rattled!
Mervyn Hogwash needs to start packing his bags as well.
So Mugabe has the support of those well known line pilots Lord Clinton-Davis and Sir Alexander Glen. It appears to me that the real fear at New Road is that the end of their gala dinners might be in sight. Endorsements for Darke from members of the establishment elite seem to carry more weight than 2 company councils and the members that they represent. (Sounds like French politics doesn't it?). MG has made a terrible mistake with his letter and I hope that it back-fires on him.
The time has come for us to take back control of our union. The BALPA leadership needs to listen to its members and above all, actually show some leadership. Our union cannot and should not survive as an "old boys" club. (Just look at our magazine - page after page about pensions and prostates yet never an article about how to live in the south east on pay point one of a B-scale!).
Mervyn Hogwash needs to start packing his bags as well.
So Mugabe has the support of those well known line pilots Lord Clinton-Davis and Sir Alexander Glen. It appears to me that the real fear at New Road is that the end of their gala dinners might be in sight. Endorsements for Darke from members of the establishment elite seem to carry more weight than 2 company councils and the members that they represent. (Sounds like French politics doesn't it?). MG has made a terrible mistake with his letter and I hope that it back-fires on him.
The time has come for us to take back control of our union. The BALPA leadership needs to listen to its members and above all, actually show some leadership. Our union cannot and should not survive as an "old boys" club. (Just look at our magazine - page after page about pensions and prostates yet never an article about how to live in the south east on pay point one of a B-scale!).
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As a balpa member, i along with others agree we do not have a union but a club .
Questions I would ask is why do i pay 1% for little or no return ?
Who hired CD inthe first place ?
Anybody have any one else in mind ?
Does BALPA have any clout any more ?
Can anyone apply for his job or is applications closed?
Yours soon to be another EX balpa Member.
Questions I would ask is why do i pay 1% for little or no return ?
Who hired CD inthe first place ?
Anybody have any one else in mind ?
Does BALPA have any clout any more ?
Can anyone apply for his job or is applications closed?
Yours soon to be another EX balpa Member.
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Word has reached me that a formal complaint has been raised against Mr Granshaw for possible abuse of BALPA procedures with regard to campaigning for the forthcoming GS election. It appears that the NEC were not advised of his intention to send out the letter. The matter is to go to a disciplinary, which of course will mean that Mr G can call on BALPA funds to defend against the charge of mis-use of BALPA funds...........
Let me try that again...........
Anyone know if the Monty Python team are still available for script-writing?
(PS IPA/IPF £10 per month! Free legal advice, and representation if needed. Newsletter but no glossy magazine nor junkets abroad. Could someone tell Mervyn?)
Let me try that again...........
Anyone know if the Monty Python team are still available for script-writing?
(PS IPA/IPF £10 per month! Free legal advice, and representation if needed. Newsletter but no glossy magazine nor junkets abroad. Could someone tell Mervyn?)
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I'll be damned! Mitty, thank you for the suggestion. Not much of a choice really, 120 smakeroonies pa, or nearer 650. I shall stay for the vote though, if BALPA can't be a union, we might as well be part of an association for a lot less loot.
I still haven't had any papers regarding the vote though!
I still haven't had any papers regarding the vote though!
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Could you advise the problem with the darke ones re-election?
I have been "elsewhere" recently and am not quite up to speed with the saga. I did notice the BALPA org was supporting him via the mags and wonder if this is normal union style and will the opposers also get time in the mag?
I have been "elsewhere" recently and am not quite up to speed with the saga. I did notice the BALPA org was supporting him via the mags and wonder if this is normal union style and will the opposers also get time in the mag?
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This letter from Granshaw is so out of order. He has clearly abused his situation and title to influence the masses.
He is well out of order, with this type of propaganda BS singing the beareded ones praises.
This is not about BA vs Other airlines, - this is about making BALPA into a strong, well regarded, professional union with a presence and clout in which we need and can be proud of.
The suggestion of BALPA being an Old boys 'club' rather than anything else, is probably the closest to the truth.
BALPA needs a bloody great shot of adrenaline, for all of our sakes, which employer we work for. The only way I feel this could be achieved is to cleanse the old Toffs etc from the top (what are they all about ?)
We should not forget that BALPA is the membership. They are but only our representatives, it’s a shame that they do not act like it.
PS
And for gods sake: is this day and age, their attempt to communicate electronically with their members is laughable. BALPAs WEB SITE IS PATHETIC A 5 yr old could produce a better website with facts, figures, and updates (that are current, not 2 mths old) that might just be USEFULL TO THE MEMBERSHIP!!!
Rant over.
He is well out of order, with this type of propaganda BS singing the beareded ones praises.
This is not about BA vs Other airlines, - this is about making BALPA into a strong, well regarded, professional union with a presence and clout in which we need and can be proud of.
The suggestion of BALPA being an Old boys 'club' rather than anything else, is probably the closest to the truth.
BALPA needs a bloody great shot of adrenaline, for all of our sakes, which employer we work for. The only way I feel this could be achieved is to cleanse the old Toffs etc from the top (what are they all about ?)
We should not forget that BALPA is the membership. They are but only our representatives, it’s a shame that they do not act like it.
PS
And for gods sake: is this day and age, their attempt to communicate electronically with their members is laughable. BALPAs WEB SITE IS PATHETIC A 5 yr old could produce a better website with facts, figures, and updates (that are current, not 2 mths old) that might just be USEFULL TO THE MEMBERSHIP!!!
Rant over.
Last edited by Big Kahuna Burger; 28th Apr 2002 at 19:01.
beards
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We have to grasp this oppurtunity to put a stop to the malaise and self satisfaction prevalent at the Balpa top table. Terms and conditions have been slowly but surely heading south, whilst balpa have been poncing about on issues of less relative importance.
If we do get a change of leadership, there may be a period of short term flux, but I am convinced that a new broom is needed if any of us are to prosper in the longer term. Nike.
If we do get a change of leadership, there may be a period of short term flux, but I am convinced that a new broom is needed if any of us are to prosper in the longer term. Nike.