Just a heads up to the BA guys and gals:

Until the strike is resolved, BALPA are allowed to jumpseat on mainline (not express) United flights both domestic and international (cabin seats only).

BA Management has shown repeatedly they will not be negotiating. They would rather lose hundreds of millions in revenue than give in. They will play nasty, threaten you, spread lies in the media rather than do a deal.

It is not logical behaviour. That is simply because it is not their money they are playing with, it is shareholders. They are slowly putting Plan B in motion that will break BALPA forever, give them time they will win.

Therefore the only thing that will stop them is the shareholders, because it IS their money being lost.

The strike needs to be decisive, and force shareholders to put pressure on management. That is the only thing they will listen to.

If BALPA announce 6 months of strikes they will fold immediately before any legal action is brought. Not because of management, because of the shareholders protecting their investment.

The terms are:
15% over 3 years.
Public Apology from BA.
Cruz resignation.
Reinstatement of Benefits.
No disciplinary action against strikers.

Until then BA is grounded.

This will resolve the strike within days.

If you want to play fair and nice with Waterside, they will happily drag this out until Plan B is ready and they hold all the power over you. Scare the shareholders and you instantly win.

You have just grounded the airline. It is you that has the power.

Use it or lose it.

Agree. They (BA) aren’t interested in negotiating seriously....yet.
The ‘sleeping tiger’ has woken. I bet the management never would have thought over 90% wouldn’t show. I think it’ll be close to 100% on the 27th if a deal isn’t done.
The IAG/BA management will continue down this path of more sanctions etc until the shareholders/investors say enough is enough.
I think BALPA should ramp up the pressure and increase the number of days for the next round of possible strikes. I applaud all those that went out, especially the first wave of guys and gals on the 9th. There is no turning back now. You must stand together.

BA management have grossly underestimated how united the union is at the moment - so much so that members from countless unions across the world are now offering up their own concessions to help BA pilots commute to work after BA removed even that. I’ve seen offers from UK based LH operators, UK based SH operators and US based carriers.

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.

If he hasn’t already been given his notice he must surely know he’s off. The problem is that IAG would be foolish to announce his dismissal during an industrial dispute - particularly one where the employees have a significant lead - and it falls to the doomed Sñr Cruz to negotiate a deal in a scenario where he finds himself totally out of his depth.

This will drag on because IAG don’t like losing face and they are well and truly cornered. BA are taking it out on pilots but we are a very united community and we will prevail against their predictable, unlawful, unsafe, and ineffective tactics. Trying to wear pilots down with pay penalties, short-notice roster changes, and and reduced crew compliments on long-haul only reduces safety for customers. It does not dent our will at all. Proper managers could have put this to bed in days.

Yup. It wouldn’t be safe to work under this stress. You’re risking your passengers safety and your jobs.

Its really that simple.

Write an open letter to shareholders, apologising for the £7billion loss from your 6 months of contractual sickness.

It’d be over in days and you can get on with your lives, whilst teaching managers a lesson in who is important and who is disposable.

Hoping Balpa can muster the necessary.

BA management would be ecstatic at that sort of deal. It’s probably far less than they’re planning on.

Some recent history

• In 2016 Delta pilots voted in a 18% immediate pay raise and a 3% & 4% raise for the next 3 years. Including backpack and retirement. 30 % over 4 years. In 2012 they’d agreed to large raises as well.

• Both years priorto both contracts they’d voted down a paltry pay rise.

• United management then matched the Delta deal.

• In 2014 Southwest pilots voted in a 14% immediate pay raise and 3% raise for the next 3 years. Including raises in retirement and full back pay. The year before they voted down a paltry pay offer.

Walsh and Cruz understand these numbers. And how low their costs are comparatively. Delta and United are direct competitors. All three airlines pay more than BA. in every respect. They are also firing on all cylinders - Unlike BA; who have been a management disaster for years.

The only thing holding back BA as an airline, is their management. Hopefully the shareholders see the problem.

Perhaps, then, I have lived in a cosseted world, first I have heard of that, but then I had left the airline before CM.

I had thought those tactics were in the tenure of Ayling.

I live and learn.

Not sure about southwest but the Delta paydeals have been about getting back to where they were prior to the September 11th attacks. With chapter 11 protection came many redundancies, a complete surrendering of the entire pension scheme and a circa 40% pay cut IIRC. No doubt they are very well remunerated now though! They also have a profit related bonus scheme...

Interestingly, I discussed CM with a former BA manager. Her views reflected what you described.

In my own one to one contact with him I, too, found him extremely decent, well informed and approachable and we got to the heart of the problem I had encountered, which was very rapidly and fully resolved over coffee in the boardroom.