BALPA v IPA
 

Hi everyone,
Have done a search but couldn't find anything about this. I am in BAPLA at the moment but am considering a move to IPA. Anyone have any thoughts on which is the better union to be in?
All thoughts greatly appreciated.
Thanks

IPA did me well for the 2 years I was a member, £25 per month I think. Whenever I needed advice or help they responded quickly.

I have no experience of BALPA.

Thanks for the reply. I am currently with BALPA but thinking of switching to IPA.

I'm not sure how anyone can make that decision for you since I would have thought it depends who you work for.

I'm in BALPA. I don't always agree with some of the things the reps do, but they are the officially recognised Union at the company where I work and, to quote JliderPilot, the BALPA Reps have always been there

In those circumstance IMHO it wouldn't make sense at all to switch to the IPA.

They'll always be there if you're in BA. Otherwise they aren't so reliable.

The IPA offers exactly the same services for a fraction of the cost except they do not negotiate because they aren't a union.

JliderPilot was referring to the IPA and my experience is the same. British Airways Line Pilot's Association were oddly silent when I approached them, not surprising as I've never worked for BA.

Ok I'll bite. The IPA don't offer anything near the level of service that Balpa does unless you wish that service to stop at the end of your nose. Unless your Union have a recognition agreement you'll get zero say in anything to do with pay or conditions as they wont be entitled to bargain on your behalf. Only Balpa has the affiliations and political influence to get anything done externally as substantial contributors to IFALPA and ECA. They were part of the lobbying committee that recently forced the Government to backtrack on its pension reforms. They also have a better knowledge base in the safety arena than many airlines - especially in fatigue and rostering. The days of Balpa being BA centric are long since gone.
The outgoing GenSec was responsible for the current FREA limits we enjoy in the UK. On top of that, 66% of your subscription is subject to tax relief.
The holiday pay currently enjoyed by UK crews was subject to a 7 year battle by Balpa. Only Balpa have the cash reserves to run such a campaign or indeed any industrial campaign these days.
Balpa is not perfect - far from it but they have a good leadership team, their new GenSec has a fearsome reputation and frankly they are the only real show in town.

Oh C'mon Thad, surely you can't leave out the James Thane case !!

Was in BALPA but no help at LoCo despite being recognised union. IPA do have union status (have done for many years). You don't need recognition for representation. IPA have very good legal team but you have to pay extra for full coverage if you want to go to court. Cost: IPA same standard fee for all. BALPA is a % of your salary. HMRC recognise both for 50% tax relief on membership.

67% not 50

Well said Thad.
The services offered by BALPA are comprehensive to say the least.
I know many that have benefitted from their negotiations with my employer, unfortunately my colleagues don't always realise or recognise this. BALPA take the fall for a lot of things but rarely get credit for the good.
Keep the IPA for your 'Recurrent extended recovery rest periods' ;)

BALPA is fully recognised within my company. They did very little for me 3.5 years ago when I was off long-term/unpaid leave with illness.
I got keen promises of help from their Medical Representative, but when he found out the nature of my illness, I never heard from him again despite me following up on at least 2 further ocassions.
I wrote to their GenSec twice without reply; 'Big Airways' and Membership income streams are the two main priorities at West Drayton in my conclusion.
I'm now a member of IPA and found their personal service excellent in recent times, especially on legal employment matters. I'm not a membership number at IPA.:D

If you ask >75% of unionised members in Virgin Atlantic about their opinion of BALPA, it won't be a favourable one - hence the mass membership exodus.

Cheers for all the comments. I think the crux of my requirement is the legal representation. I gather both offer good legal representation, but IPA leaves me with an extra £500 in my pocket. Not to be sniffed at!
Thanks again for all the responses.

BALPA was shockingly poor at representing me in my hour of need. Since resigned from BALPA. Had a query regarding an issue at work recently, IPA got back to me within 30 mins. They pointed out that there rep's are not volunteers, but trained employees. They offered support at my expense as I was not a member, and the matter was already in process, had I of been a member it would be free.
Joining IPA now for the future.

Once you join BA you quickly realise that it is actually the British Airways Longhaul Pilots Association.

If BALPA are recognised as the representative organisation for pilots in your airline AND you want to have a say and a vote in any agreement that affects your T&C's, join BALPA. If not, join whoever you think will represent you better on a personal basis.

If you want a real life case study of BALPA in action read "30 Seconds to Impact" by Peter Burkill.