BA pilots vote to strike

[Blackfriar]

Originally Posted by hunterboy

Just read the comments on Sir Colin Marshall. I met him several times in differing circumstances and always found him to be a charming, intelligent man.
I wonder if those people that experienced a different side were the “managers potted plants” that seemed to reside in forgotten offices being paid handsomely to slow or hinder the operation. I seem to remember when we got rid of 20,000 people , BA still managed to fly the same number of planes, pax and baggage as before.
sadly, someone got drunk on the idea that continued cost cutting will continue to generate continous profits. It does smack of lazy thinking.

Thanks for the snidey put-down. No I wasn't a potted plant, maybe you were just one of his toadies or only met him but never had to deal with his decisions perhaps.

[bvcu]

did they really get rid of 20,000 people ? Most of those were hived off to other companies i.e outsourced but still working for the airline indirectly .

[hunterboy]

I may be a little hazy on numbers...and that wouldn’t just be CM, but an approximation of the total number of staff that we “lost” over the years in various initiatives that still go on to this day.
i take your point about budget shifting and spin-offs to other companies, as well as the self employed contractors that came back on hundreds a day for a while.
As for the sensitive readers among us, I wouldn’t take it personally. We are all just a number at the end of the day. Once our usefulness to the company is finished, we are all shown the door. I don’t think anybody is under any illusions what kind of company we work for.

[Rated De]

Originally Posted by bvcu

did they really get rid of 20,000 people ? Most of those were hived off to other companies i.e outsourced but still working for the airline indirectly .

The definition of Full Time Equivalent employees is a loose one.
It might remove headline figures, but contractors and temporary, in certain categories get ignored.

The "reform" of British Airways was a tart up for privatisation.
The impact of which was a key ingredient in performance post listing.

[vlieger]

Unity is strength

Pilots have been portrayed as overpaid primadonnas who really don't work that hard. The reality, however, is that over the last few decades, terms and conditions have only gone downhill: pilots work harder than ever, and in the summer months are often pushed to the legal, physical, and mental limits.

Competition is cut-throat. For airlines to stay afloat, they are forced to squeeze their workforce and pay them as little as they can get away with.After the recession in 2008, there was a general ‘tightening of the belts’ across all airlines. Pilots and cabin crew were asked to be 'realistic' and accept this race to the bottom as some kind of natural law. A weak recovery followed. Profit margins were restored – £2 billion in the case of BA. But this all went to shareholders and upper management. The belt remained tightened.

https://www.socialist.net/worldwide-...s-strength.htm​​​​​​​

[Black Pudding]

I was just wondering, if you’re down route on a layover, what happens regarding withdrawing yourself from duty ? How does this work.

[Dairyground]

Originally posted by Black Pudding:

I was just wondering, if you’re down route on a layover, what happens regarding withdrawing yourself from duty ? How does this work.

I have no connection with BALPA or with BA other than as occasional SLF, and have no knowledge about what happens.

However if I were down route, I would indicate to BA that I was willing to fly, and expect to be paid. If there was an aircraft available, then I would be inclined to operate it and add to the congestion at base. I might then make a donation from my pay for the flight to an appropriate strike fund.

On a separate theme, would it have a greater impact on BA if only Captains actually declined to work, and all FOs turned up as rostered? If they were not qualified for the left seat they would be unable to operate, but having turned up should expect to be paid and to retain all perks.

[cessnaxpilot]

In the US when I was on strike... I was on my own. The union coordinates help to try and get you home. I understand it’s different in the UK, in that once we strike... we are out until the parties resolve the differences. It was stressful, but necessary.

good luck! It’s worth the struggle.

[Right Engine]

I am here to correct a mistake many are making. It is only the LHR/LGW reports on strike days that require BALPA members to not work. When down-route you are not required to take IA. So flights arriving on strike days are NOT performed by non-strikers. Most pilots down-route have had trips extended by up to 5 days. Many of these have pledged the extra duty pay this has triggered to the benevolent fund.

[wiggy]

Originally Posted by Black Pudding

I was just wondering, if you’re down route on a layover, what happens regarding withdrawing yourself from duty ? How does this work.

In the specific context of the UK and BALPA - in the event of strike action BALPA usually specifically"instruct" members who are down route to report for duty as rostered by the airline.

Those instructions were reiterated in the information given to BA pilots prior to last week's IA.

If an airline wants to then change the rosters of those down route, e.g. change return dates, that's their call.

[Yorkielondon]

Originally Posted by RetiredBA/BY

Time for Cruz to go. He took over, or was given an airline to run, which was in good shape hence the 2b profit, no thanks to him. In his brief time he has:
1. reduced to share price to near an all time low.
2. Managed to precipitate the first pilot strike in the airlines “ 100 year “ history with the most incredible solidarity.
3. Has dumbed down the short haul product.
4 Picked up a huge fine, 183 m, for IT incompetence, the biggest penalty ever imposed by the ICO.
5. Managed to precipitate trainers and even managers to resign.
Now, compare that with the superb business performance of the late Sir Colin Marshall, who had the onerous task of vastly reducing staff numbers to get BA into shape, which he and Lord King certainly did. That said, Sir Colin managed to retain the respect of virtually all employees, and I have never heard of any unpleasantness levelled against him.

Its a long time since I was a BA pilot but I am an IAG shareholder, hoping for a nice gain when Cruz leaves as happened when Ayling left.

Time for change.

Worked at BA in the time of King & Marshall. No LCC's then, short haul or long haul, little Gulf carrier premium competition and lousy US carriers. The focus was on product, not remotely the same pressure to tackle costs. Today the airline makes money on short haul (unlike AF/KL & LH) up against LCC's & having taken eye off the ball on the premium end, it falls to current management to put that right. That's underway but takes time for refirbs & new fleet. Also takes funding. Many IT systems probably date back to when I was there so again have to be addressed today when should have been worked on long ago-same as many airlines with legacy systems

[eckhard]

27th September strike action has been called off.

[parkfell]

Originally Posted by eckhard

27th September strike action has been called off.

with the clear understanding that future action will occur if meaningful talks do not take place

[Capewell]

Any kind of 'sanction' against workers engaging in lawful industrial action is illegal and certainly doesn't need any guarantees from the management if it is going to be challenged in court.

[Ancient Observer]

Capewell is correct, although this type of petty, vindictive, small minded and provocative sanction by BA has not yet been fully tested in the UK Courts. The nasty scheduling tricks and the pay deductions, and the cheap flight nasties all need to be tested. A field day for BALPA's barristers!

I do not see the BALPA action of calling off a single strike day, as bottling it. Rather, I see it as a cunning plan.

Crew scheduling will have all their nasty scheduling tricks to unwind.

[Mizar]

That's going to be funny for our customers.
Sorry sir/madam your previously cancelled flight has now been reinstated. Any chance you are still interested to fly?

[Xulu]

Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton said: "Someone has to take the initiative to sort out this dispute and with no sign of that from BA, the pilots have decided to take the responsible course.

Oh dear. It is management that is supposed to back down in order to protect the brand, not the workers.

What a let down.

[hunterboy]

With such an inept, tin ear management in place, it falls once again for the staff to take the long term view and protect the company and the brand.
Let’s wait and see what develops.

[RoyMunson]

I think Willie and Cruz will be 'raging'. I think BALPA may have pulled a blinder on this. What are BA going to? Reinstate all the cancelled flights? I guess they are going to have and fly the aircraft empty or near empty and pay the crew. Not going to cost as much as before but still a lot of aggro and lost revenue.
And it could happen next month? Dates haven't been announced......yet

[sprite1]

Yep. BA/IAG are having rings run round them.

If they agree to meet on 27th - BALPA look good.

The pilots will get paid for reporting for duty on the 27th.

If BA don’t budge at the meeting - BALPA walk away saying we tried, now for more strikes more often.

If BA amend their offer, it’ll be a win for BALPA. It’ll have to be a meaningful gain on the current pay offer though.

Put simply:- BA are on the back foot here and boxed in.

I wish my union had this current union Exec Council reps.