Originally Posted by
ian001
Also, trying to reduce the T&Cs of cabin crew, will probably result in a very adverse reaction from a lot of passengers. BA should have surely learnt its lesson from the way it was portrayed as a bullying employer during the 1997 cabin crew strike.
Seriously do you really think that PAX will care that much? The problem with the 1997 strike was that Ayling was not allowed to win, essentially Marshall chickened out of the fight. Had BA secured the right outcome at that point, the shareholders would have been millions (potentially >£1Bn) better off. Perhaps Broughton has enough balls to see it through this time.
Like it or not, the ability to control headcount costs is a key point of competitive advantage for BA when compared to it's continental rivals. US competitors have chapter 11 to fall back upon. If BA actually saw it through this time it would increase my respect for them (and possibly increase my business too).
Even if BA wanted to shift all crew into a subsidiary on lower cost T&C's it would effectively be prevented from doing so by the TUPE regulations (which have been strengthened quite recently).