bmi (industrial action vote)

[alterego]

What Baby management have nicely forgotten in the voting statistics is that the majority of those who voted for action are Captains. When you factor out Management Captains and Contract guys a huge majority of Aircraft Commanders are in favour of action in Baby.

A strike would be far more effective than just 47% of all pilots not working!

Agree about the Chief Pilot. Baby would be far deeper in the S**t were it not for him.

[theresalwaysone]

Happy days! but dont forget the damage you are doing while all this goes on. Ive just being trying to book a holiday but guess which airline i wouldnt even consider travelling with at the moment?

It takes a hell of a lot of effort to get an airline established but very little to close it down!

[angels]

theresalways - shouldn't your last post be aimed at the management rather than the PBI???

Edited to add I'm humble pax, not a pilot.

[Fuzzy112]

There are always those that see a cup as being half empty rather than half full. What you have to ask though is how management can leave a professional bunch of people in a situation which gives them no option but to consider withdrawing labour. It is a last resort, it will remain a last resort but anyone reading this would do well to steer clear of bmi until about the end of september. You should also be aware that many of the pilots actually have zero interest in the long term future of the airline as the management have no long term interest either. The company is being shaped up to sell - the sooner that happens the better IMHO.

[brighton_rocks]

Good luck with the action folks! give them the kick they need to start treating people with respect and decency they deserve, Interesting to hear that Flybe and Globespan have been sniffing around DH, I have also been told by a source at DH, that LH have been sniffing around again recently and been for tea and biccies (with all the cost cutting i bet they had to get them from vending machines) - makes you wonder.
Is Mr B thinking of his final pension with a buy one get two free offer?
IE Mainline, Regional and their Baby?

And maybe the website will be changed to flybmi.gone !!! with you being re - directed to Flybe,Globespan or whoever raids their piggybank!

I'm just really suspicious why the management aren't worried that things are gonna kick off.

Also can anyone tell me why BRU flights from EMA are on the Baby website when they are a regional route and have been for 3 years now?
I admit it does transfer you to main Bmi website but for how long? - You know what they are like for pulling the rug! Like at EMA before, maybe its history repeating.....

[upandoffmyside]

bmi check-in staff to ballot for strike

Not just the pilots who are unhappy with the management bullies at the Hall....

BMI Airport GMB Check-In Staff To Ballot For Official Stoppage In Pay Dispute
GMB has given BMI official notice of a strike ballot
22 Aug 2006

GMB has given the go ahead for an official strike ballot of members employed by BMI at London Heathrow following the imposition of a 2.4% pay rise on them without any consultation or room for negotiation. GMB gave official notice to the company that the ballot was going ahead today, Monday 21st August.

Following the seven day notice the strike ballot will take place over a two week period, from 29th of August. The result will be expected on Tuesday the 12th of September, two weeks after the ballot ends. Depending on the outcome of the ballot then GMB will have to give 7 days notice of any official stoppage. In short we are looking at possible airport strike action around the weekend of the 23rd of September.

The imposition of the 2.4% pay rise affects 250 GMB members who provide check in services for BMI at a number of airports in the UK. The pay rise has also been imposed on other staff who work for the company and these employees are separately balloting for industrial action on the issue.

GMB Regional Organiser, Kelly Rogers, said "GMB members who work for BMI have asked the union to set up an official strike ballot to enable the members to protest at the imposition of an enforced 2.4% pay rise. This offer is not acceptable, and I predict that the members will vote overwhelmingly for strike action."

-Ends-

http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/Pres...p?NodeID=94387

[Fuzzy112]

In one of the CEO's letters in which he tries to demonise his pilots and split the workforce he says that there was 'tacit' acceptance of the company position by the other working groups (other than pilots). If a strike ballot from the GMB represents 'tacit' acceptance then I dread to think what disagreement would mean.
Good luck to all GMB members.

[Accident Prawn]

BMI Bloody Maniacs In charge

[jordan]

I've never read such childish petty drivel in years. It sounds as if most of you believe that you have some God-given right to demand the pay increase that you believe is right. How on earth is a strike going to help!! If you feel so upset there is always an exit door. No-one is forcing you to work. There are plenty of other jobs around, and no doubt plenty of people that would jump into your shoes, and lots more that would welcome a pay rise of 2.4%.

I don't work for bmi but have been in the business for many years, and hardly anyone has mentioned the most important issue of all. The PASSENGER. It's he/she who pays your wage - not the company, and you are currently losing hundreds of bookings because of uncertainties, which inevitably puts strain on the business, leading to potential cut-backs and redundancies. Is this what you want? If so - there are some sick people around!

It's a free world - and if you don't like it no-one is stopping you from leaving!

[Skylion]

Jordan is right,- the industry at the moment faces the dire prospect of the customers getting hacked off with the hassle and the aggravation being imposed upon them without having to put up with the added ingredients of strikes,- be they BMI people in September or Stansted's next weekend.
This one looks as if it is more generated by miffedness at 2.4% being imposed rather than about 2.4% itself. BMI lost money for 4 years and then made a bit over £ 5 million last year,- a very low return for those who take the investment risks and navigate the company through all the regulatory , legal and other obstacles which daily frustrate all those trying to manage a business.
A strike will only alientate customers, reduce future profits,- and therefore pay increases,- and risk destroying jobs and terms and conditions rather than improving them. Useful for venting spleen maybe, but little else. Everyone in this industry needs to understand that it is customer driven and if holidays, trips to relatives, business trips are ruined it will come back to bite us all. There is no sympathy out there in the real world.

[Accident Prawn]

jordan - skylion?

Your comments are noted.

Either of you haven't the experience of working for the group, or the grace to understand what's really going on.
It may seem as simple as it seems to you, but the issues are complicated beyond your shallow comprehension(s).

The history is 30 years old and it's time to sort it.

The passengers haven't moved away, yet another 4 sectors yesterday with just under 500 of them and that's only on my aircraft and only half a day's shift!

skylion - it will come back to bite us all

You're right: In your declining Ts & Cs, you are short sighted like your friend seems to be.

jordan - go and blame the management ok?

[oscarh]

Jordan and Skylion, absolutely spot-on.

Strike, strike, strike. What has a strike ever brought except misery?

Grow up people. 2.4% is surely not much but at least it's around inflation. We are living in very difficult times indeed. If you don't like it, then write a note to Sir Michael telling him why it's so bl**dy awful.

If you feel that your management is that bad, same applies and if you haven't got the balls to put your head over the parapet, leave.

Oscar is receiving his BM pension before you ask what it's got to do with him and like many, he saw the good times and the bad.

Oscar will now duck.

[mccdatabase]

I have worked for bmi in excess of 20 years and although they have never been the best payers in the industry they have NOT been the worst either, in fact some of the better payers who were out there have now gone bust I wonder why? !!. I also was not happy about the 2.4% rise but taking into account the fact that the company has only just managed to turn a small profit after several years of losses I felt that it was just about as reasonable as could be expected. On previous occasions when times were hard we did not get any annual rise some years, NONE of us has a God given right to expect or demand unrealistic pay rises and I would rather be in work this time next year than have had a big rise for a few months then be made jobless, it is interesting to note that the unions seem to be encouraging action, could this be because they feel like they were left out of the loop in this years pay rise??. I agree that some of the business decisions that have been made of late have been questionable but Sir Michael Bishop is nobodys fool and I am sure he will be addressing the problems and their causes, now is not the time to be playing a game of brinkmanship or listening to a few discontented rabble rousers, get real people and please dont be the turkeys who voted for christmas!!

ps before someone accuses ; I am not management NOR do I have aspirations to management

[one four sick]

mccdatabase

We know who you are. You are not with balpa, but quite happy to enjoy the dfods that come your way as well as other benefits you get as a result of the company council's exsistence!
As previously explained, it is not unreasonable by the membership to demand a halt to dwindling conditions at work and to try to arrest the ever decreasing quality of lifestyle that comes with the job at this particular company.
The fact that you are here not for a carreer, but for building hours, does not make you empowered to take part or otherwise in shaping the long term prospects of those pilots that may be planning to stay a little longer.
No one has "god given rights" to anything, but certainly a right to take action when the threat doesn't just stop here.

oscarh,

Where have you been all this time. Who wants to "strike strike strike"??? Talking about missing a point HUGELY!!!!

14sick

[mccdatabase]

one four sick (the last bit is quite appropriate!!) you are obviously having a little trouble with your reading skills today, it is quite clear from your post that you have absolutely no idea who I am , how many hours builders do you know with two decades of service in bmi?? as for the "we know who you are " comment, is that some kind of implied threat ?? will you be happy if your terms and conditions dwindle down to a trip to the dole office or are you one of those who think"well I will be alright jack I can always get another job anyway " perhaps that may be the best solution for you, I am sure Ryanair will welcome you then maybe you really would have somthing to complain about
ps sorry you feel that because I do not agree with your kamikaze attitude I dont have a right to express an opinion but thats called democracy old chap, dissenters are not (as a rule) shot at dawn these days

[one four sick]

With 20 years of service, perhaps you should know better.
You should also take a little time to examine what the majority want and see in which way you stick out of the crowd.
You are not a balpa member, you have not voted, you have no say in what happens next.
Balpa will dictate the forthcoming action not you.

[POLICE]

mccdatabase

You are obviously a happy person after two decades in the group.
Can you show us just 2 more similar people to yourself in this airline?
No? I think not.

[mccdatabase]

The very fact that there are quite a few people with many years service invested in the company would indicate to me that they must be reasonably happy to work for bmi otherwise they would have left long ago for "greener pastures", BALPA may well dictate the next move but that does not mean that people cannot express an opinion on the matter of the future of the job security of the workforce in bmi (or does a bit of honest soul searching not fit in with your view of reasoned discussion? )

[Skylion]

Heavy "we know who you are" type threats sound very ominous and much like the rustbucket industries in the 50s and 60s. Look where most of those are now. To strike or not to strike should always be an individual choice. So called majorities can get very ugly- and in these situations are very ugly. We should not be seeing these,- or attempts to suppress views in any way,- amongst professionals, especially when they have plenty of choice of alternative employers if this one really is so dire in the realistic context of the current aviation world. Courage means going somewhere else if not happy, not threatening people who hold different views. Who likes schoolyard bully tactics?

[Count von Altibar]

With an attitude like mcdatabase expect more deteriorating T&C's an management taking the piss. We need a big 'YES' vote to bring the company to their senses...