corporate-wage-slave

What happened in previous strikes is that they tried to run services with whatever crew they could deploy, including Waterside and contact centre staff (etc) - I don't think that will be so successful now from what I've heard - and also they replaced some services with leased aircraft, notoriously including getting Ryanair to run some services, complete with BA catering. They also allowed passengers to move flights, giving quite a lot of flexibility to inflexible tickets bought before the strike day(s) were set, as well as allowing refunds. Generally they didn't allow people to travel on airlines outside the joint business arrangements but there were some exceptions such as to SIN and SYD. There is no EC261 compensation payable in these circumstances (but perhaps open to a future legal challenge), though the Right of Care provisions would apply.

hcuk94

This time around in the new world of BoB they can just let Ryanair do what they do normally, no catering changes required.
BA shorthaul pax satisfaction will increase

Tiger_lily

Hmm. I'll be with the whole family on an I tickets uua'd to Z. It'll be an utter pain (in the neck from Mr TL) if this goes pear shaped trying to get home from SEA.

hcuk94

I'm not normally for strikes. But with Willy Wonka wafting around asking people to show him the ******* money, while the business doesn't like its customers or its staff any more, and continues in its race to the bottom cutting service for its once loyal customers - I wish this strike every success.

EZY and FR learnt a big lesson a few years back - p***ing everyone off isn't the way to do things, and both of them have since been keeping their service basic but not obnoxious.
I think BA will need the same lesson soon. That slide from the stakeholder presentation is what I'd have expected of Michael O'Loony before he realised he didn't have to hate the customer to be a budget airline.

FlyerTalker688786

I like many here would support a strike (very unlike my own belief).

In fact I would like to ask other BA passengers to take this opportunity to stage a one-month long strike of not taking a BA flight, coincident the introduction of BOB in January.

It is not enough for the crew to strike, our passengers have to join in to voice our concern as well. Otherwise the management will just simply shrug their shoulders and continue business as usual attitude.

I am glad to say that I have no flight booked in January on BA. Only a return in March to Nice. Will forgo my birthday bonus and will not travel BA the whole year unless some of the changes get reversed.

DFB_london

As a passenger it is odd to say it, but this seems to be the only language that Cruz might get. He seems to believe the price of everything and value of nothing (hence the brand value destruction to date). So far on the Cruz watch he's made that muppet who used to run United look like a customer care genius.

missdimeaner

I am saddened to find out the reasons for MF industrial action ballot.
Actually I am appalled...by BA and support MF in this.
Hoping for a good outcome for the crews, you have looked after me very well over the last few years and you deserve better.

Andriyko

Not taking BA flights will only hurt BA's employees even more as there will be no money to pay even these low wages. The problem is not that the company does not want to pay higher wages, but that the market and the new economic/industry realities do not support that. If anything, BA's passengers should volunteer to pay higher fares rather than avoid the airline completely (which might lead to the airline's collapse and loss of thousands of jobs). In order for the wages to rise in any substantial way the industry will need to go back to the over-regulation and protection days (which will hurt the consumer). Same as with other industries where there are pressures on remuneration of employees, there is no easy or one answer as to how to fix the low wages issue. But avoiding BA is certainly not the answer as it will only inflict more pain. If anything, people should fly BA more. In my profession we've faced a few pay cuts since 2008, and yet there are a lot of people would gladly do the job for less. I certainly would not want for my clients to 'support' me by withholding business from my company as it will only put more pressure on the management to cut salaries or even cut the workforce. If anything, my clients have already contributed to the redundancies and pay cuts by demanding lower and lower prices from the company. I fail to see how advocating for BA's passengers to abandon the airline makes life any easier for cabin crew and other employees.

crazyanglaisy

This post reads to me like a 101 for why our socio-economic system is in the mess that it's currently in. I don't find these economic arguments persuasive, but, even if I did, I would prefer to look at it like this: if you were to find out your staff were sleeping in their cars because they couldn't afford to drive home to rest between shifts, wouldn't you be upset, outraged, and willing to move heaven and earth to put that right? If this is not just bluster and things really are this bad, it's not about financial details for me, it's about treating the people who work for you with basic human dignity.

flatlander

BA's current operating profits (€1.37bn last year) will definitely support higher staff wages.

If you think that structurally the company cannot support them in the longer term, please show your citations.

kauppias

Perhaps corporate greed is where it lies but si will kot start a rant other the. Saying WAGE savings should be across the board! If managment gets a pay raise give the same prosent down the line! If pay cuts are needed then cut the same percent from managment instead of giving a bonus!

passy777

Perhaps replace the Flying Start envelopes with ones showing a picture of WW stating 'Show me the f****ng money' supplemented by crew holding out a cap for passengers exiting the aircraft to contribute to IAG as they seem to be struggling to pay their staff a decent wage.

I could be impacted if a strike does occur over the New Year period, but I hope the CC win their fight. Something drastic has to happen as things just cannot keep on as they are.

dylanks

In the 2007-2009 timeframe, many on this board were against the strikes, but with how much has changed since, I believe that the majority that post here, including me, would support the crew in their efforts to increase their compensation.

Crampedin13A

After my flights in the next 2 weeks I am going on strike as a BA customer. I hope MF do go on strike and get public sympathy as well. Would be interesting to see whose side the Daily Mail would take seeing how much they hate BA the airline.

RGS5526

If the strike goes ahead, flight crew and other staff should add to the pressure on BA by turning up as rostered and so be paid for "working" the flights that cannot take place because of the absence of cabin crew. There is more than one way to show solidarity with those who have a grievance.

If Spanish law ofers the opportunity, then those shareholders who consider high-level executives overpaid should vote against acceptance of the directors' remuneration report. If the situation is viewed as really bad, they should consider voting against reappointment of all directors who sit on the remuneration committee - and even, should they also hold relevant shares, vote against the appointment of those individuals to the board of any company.