Originally Posted by
JerseyPilot
And I think you’ll find that a major factor in the pilots’ minds in voting for strike was it was an attempt to try to change the abhorrent management culture at BA. I think everybody can see what we were fighting against now.
Originally Posted by
AirbusA350
Well the Mixed Fleet strikes from a couple of years ago were all during peak summer holidays, of course didn't cripple the airline but still caused headaches (QR was wet-leased at the time as far as I remember), I think the original sentiment of the post was that Unions also choose their "perfect" times too that ultimately affect the business and customers. It goes both ways, cat and mouse really, it's just that currently all upper hand is with BA sadly. Of course then there was the pilot strikes too.
The disputes mentioned above were for very good reasons. It could be said that BA were lacking a moral compass then - like they are right now.
Any reasonable person can see that significant savings need to be made. The amount of headcount reduction required is a relatively easy process...based on number of aircraft flying, type of aircraft and finally the flying schedule. This calculation will sadly throw up a lot of excess headcount in operational areas(non operational areas is not quite so easy) The issue is that the start up programme will be small but will grow as rules are relaxed, a vaccine for Covid is found, and the world slowly gets back to a new normal! As this happens then BA needs to bring more headcount back on line to support the increased flying programme. This would point to a redundancy/furlough/career break type scheme where staff are invited back to work for BA as demand increases. Of course the staff member may choose not to rejoin BA - their prerogative.
The above retains staff and customer loyalty and is fair. It would be difficult to argue against this course of action.
The current plan, if no agreement is reached, of dismissing 42,000 staff and inviting back 30000 on new contracts with vastly lower and inferior T&C’s does nothing to enhance BA’s reputation to staff and customers and, in most reasonable people’s eyes, is just plain unfair and opportunistic in the extreme.
Obviously the above is my very humble opinion!!