Poll: BALPA's Performance - Vote
 

Actually based on Pitdown Man's response to another thread I started. I am thinking it would be interesting to start a new Poll thread on pilots perception/experiences of BALPA's performance. If nothing else to help them gauge their current and target members. Also to avoid the other thread turning into BALPA bashing and keep it on topic, I think we are all aware how quickly a tangent can sprout.

Evidence you are 20x more inclined to complain than to give praise so hopefully a poll thread with a simple option to click to register a vote and only comment if you feel you need to.

Edited 18th FEB 2010 to reflect poll being made available.

After a few IT issues, here it is, the BALPA Poll.

It's been designed to allow a free and easy way for anyone viewing this thread to give their opinion/perception of the union that is our collective voice and champion.

I know Moderators are a little sceptical of them from experience but as long as this doesn't turn into public tête à tête's.

I changed the options based on the posts up until 23:00 on the 17th FEB. I'm also concious not to make the options biased towards any agenda.

Whatever your vote, if you would like to add additional information in the following format, it is by no means manditory however it would help to see if any trends are forming:

Number of Years Flying
Current Status/Employer
Option Selected
Supporting Reason for Selection

You may want to add another category:

"Previous Member - let down - will not join again"

BALPA Member - impressed. Bruce and others are good guys but have not grasped the enormous pressure that our BALPA reps are facing. The bottom line is that the power lies with the individual BALPA members. Every guy like Bruce, however sincere, who leaves just helps the destruction of the pilot voice. If you are that upset, please become a rep and fight. Do not just leave the field of battle until the rest of the warriors win the fight - no one is impressed by that.

Members would, of course, be voting on their own performance since they are BALPA. Non members vote by either joining or refraining from joining. Simples! Anything else is just bar-talk.

NSF, sorry that's tosh. check your PM.

Happy to carry on a dialogue with you on PM on this issue and request that you remove that quote and reference and will reciprocate likewise by removing this one also.

BALPA Member - Impressed

easyJet BALPA member. Considering ending membership, along with many of my colleagues.

BALPA member, considering ending membership.

BALPA member considering ending membership

BALPA Member - Impressed

BALPA member- Impressed- As an ex-GSM I was impressed by the charitable solidarity of the BALPA membership who 'chipped-in' to the fund that helped the newly redundants.

BALPA member- NOT Impressed - As an ex-GSM'er who was a 'regular' on the Falklands AirBridge MoD contract, I am decidedly p*ssed off by the fact that BALPA has DONE NOTHING to protest to the new contract providers, Air Seychelles, to recruit some of the UK & EU Nationals made redundant when the original contract provider, GSM failed. German, Spanish & French ex-colleagues have stated that this would not be allowed in their countries & questioned the actions of our 'Union'.

BALPA member- NOT Impressed that BALPA can standby & allow newly licensed Pilot's to fall victim to the 'Pay-to-Fly' neo-criminally fraudulent schemes whereby victims are hope filled that they will stand more of a chance obtaining gainful employment by having a rating with a few hundred hours experience, only to be replaced by a new victim & dumped on the dole with a mountain of debt. BALPA should lobby members in these airlines & ask if it is 'morally right' or does it cheapen the value of airline pilots.

BALPA should grow some teeth & squeeze some balls, otherwise if it isn't protecting the rights, conditions & security of it's membership, what is the point of its being?
:ok:

BALPA Member - Considering ending membership

Calling on all IT savvy, found this in the FAQ's but can't find the checkbox it talks about when starting a new thread, anyone got any experience of starting a poll?

You may notice that some threads on this forum also include a section where you can vote on an issue or question. These threads are called 'polls' and this is how to create them:

Creating a new poll

When you post a new thread, you may have the option to also create a poll.

This function allows you to ask a question and specify a number of possible responses. Other members will then be able to vote for the response they wish, and the results of the voting will be displayed in the thread.

An example poll might be:

What is your favorite color?

Red
Blue
Yellow
Green
Sky-blue pink with yellow spots
To create a poll when you post a new thread, simply click the 'Yes! post a poll' checkbox at the bottom of the page, and set the number of possible responses you want to include.

When you click the submit button, you will be taken to the poll creation page, where you can specify the question and the list of responses you want to include.

You may also want to specify a time limit for the poll, so that (for example) it only stays open for voting for a week.

Voting in and viewing a poll

To vote in a poll, simply select which option you want to vote for, and click the [Vote!] button. You may view the current results for a poll before you vote by clicking the 'View Results' link. Voting in a poll is entirely optional. You may vote for any of the available options, or cast no vote at all.

Generally, once you have voted in a poll, you will not be able to change your vote later, so place your vote carefully!

Chocolate ashtray...?
 

Former member......very unimpressed.

Retired, within days found I was locked out of company Balpa pages.

This was the only time they acknowledged my existance over all those years.

BALPA...expensive......political ......poor.....no use.....

390
Forget BALPA

It's a game of numbers.
 

Ex BALPA member, in my experience of 6 years thought they were appalling....twice !

Please have a look at the latest BALPA balance sheet, a copy of which is posted in a crewroom that I visited recently. Forgive me for not recalling the figures exactly, but circa.

Expenses, salaries, big building on Bath Road £690k

Amount spent defending members interests £190k

Can anyone find the exact figures, I fear that they explain much.

MoT

EZY Balpa member, considering ending membership

Balpa member (21 years) - considering ending membership.

There must be an alternative that will actually protect pilots interests.

Woahhhhh there,

Before this gets out of hand, this thread was to get ideas for the options to select. I am still trying to work out how to start a Poll thread on PPRuNe, however the FAQ instructions I posted above doesn't tie in with the options available when I try to start a new thread.

So I'll try again, anyone know how to get a Poll Thread working?

Non Member - Ended Membership - Not Impressed, unhelped in time of need

Number of years flying 9

Current Status/ Employer Employed/ Qatar Airways (not enough vacancies in UK as filled by overseas contractors / pay to flyers)

Option selected Former member cancelled due bad experience

Reasoning:


Hi when I flew for a Uk Cargo operator that was gobbled up by an Irish Rival,

a TUPE transfer ensued, a new contract, with a months notice was signed, however, when I later resigned to join a UK charter carrier, I was threatened to have to work 3 months notice or my reference for an ID pass would not be supplied.

BALPA listened and did nothing, resulting in having to work the longer notice period under considerable duress just to get a reference.

I spoke to a lawyer and was told that although I was in the right on the 1 months notice period of the contract I had signed "if i wanted to stay in the airline industry I would just have to be shafted by the Irish company for the sake of my ID" - even though I held a Full Airside BAA pass already and was just transferring airlines and airport!

Time balpa grew some teeth and protected all UK pilots interests :ok:

Dreamshiner,

The instructions say, "you may have the option to create a poll." Fact is, you don't, probably because the administrator disabled that option in this section of the forum.