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Strike ballot called: here we go [General discussion of BA industrial relations]

Strike ballot called: here we go [General discussion of BA industrial relations]

Old Oct 28, 2009, 3:03 pm
  #91  
 
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In another twist, six BASSA reps are under formal investigation by BA for alleged bullying and harrassment following a complaint by a CC rep outside BASSA:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0VGAadsUs
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Old Oct 28, 2009, 3:34 pm
  #92  
 
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Originally Posted by ian001
In another twist, six BASSA reps are under formal investigation by BA for alleged bullying and harrassment following a complaint by a CC rep outside BASSA:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0VGAadsUs
Labor union reps trying to intimidate some of the rank-and-file into going along? I just don't think I could ever believe such a thing....
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Old Oct 28, 2009, 3:38 pm
  #93  
 
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Originally Posted by Tupelo
Labor union reps trying to intimidate some of the rank-and-file into going along? I just don't think I could ever believe such a thing....
How on earth have you deduced that by reading the Sun article ?
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Old Oct 28, 2009, 3:46 pm
  #94  
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Originally Posted by Jimmie76
100% of nothing is.......nothing, if you are prepared to take your members on a frankly suicidal strike (and I'm not just talking about BA here) then if the company fails you get nothing.
If the strike acts like a coup de grace that finishes off BA, wouldn't at least some segment of the current and/or former employees be considered BA creditors of some sort and perhaps have a chance to pick bones from BA's carcass?
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Old Oct 28, 2009, 3:50 pm
  #95  
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Originally Posted by Cap'n Benj
Me too, I've heard the sandwiches they serve up at Waterside are ace!
Me too, but rather than a Waterside sandwich, I'd like them to promise to make sure every breakfast served on board BA flights that is described as English breakfast includes a sausage.
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Old Oct 28, 2009, 5:27 pm
  #96  
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No idea if staff would be counted as creditors, but I wouldn't want to be the one having to find out.
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Old Oct 30, 2009, 7:48 am
  #97  
 
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Unite the union is to take legal action to try to stop British Airways' plans to impose new pay and conditions on 14,000 cabin crew

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8334100.stm
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Old Oct 30, 2009, 9:48 am
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From the BBC article:

"Unite hopes a court hearing will take place next week. It says if the court rules in its favour and the changes are prevented from coming into force, it will review the strike ballot which is under way."

But if the court rules against it, would that not also require a review of the strike ballot? I mean why vote on possible strike action over something the court would then have ruled BA is within its rights to do? Is the union merely seeking temporary relief at this point? Or is industrial action permitted in the UK for more things than just mid-term, unilateral changes to Ts & Cs?
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Old Oct 30, 2009, 12:38 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by Tupelo
From the BBC article:

"Unite hopes a court hearing will take place next week. It says if the court rules in its favour and the changes are prevented from coming into force, it will review the strike ballot which is under way."

But if the court rules against it, would that not also require a review of the strike ballot? I mean why vote on possible strike action over something the court would then have ruled BA is within its rights to do? Is the union merely seeking temporary relief at this point? Or is industrial action permitted in the UK for more things than just mid-term, unilateral changes to Ts & Cs?
Because you can strike over certain working practices (e.g. allocation of work or duties between staff) as well as the terms and conditions of employment (which "may include not only the contractual terms and conditions but those terms which are understood and applied by the parties in practice, or habitually, or by common consent, without ever being incorporated into the contract"). You wouldn't need a right to strike if the only thing you could strike about was something which the company was not legally entitled to do anyway.

Plus, as you say, they will be aiming for an interim injunction to prevent the changes pending a full hearing. And they have bugger all chance of success, I would have thought. What will be really embarassing for BASSA is if they lose on a no "serious issue to be tried" basis. Then they will look very, very silly.

On which note, it is time for the BASSA gem of the day:

Originally Posted by BASSA
BA are led by greedy bullies who will stop at nothing to get their way. This is not union rhetoric.

Last edited by jimcbob; Oct 30, 2009 at 1:12 pm
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Old Nov 1, 2009, 11:58 pm
  #100  
 
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Is it time BA said 'enough' to their staff?

Their staff have this lovely habit of holding the airline to ransom during its peak periods July/Xmas with industrial action.

They all want a pay rise when things are going well and seem to be reluctant to help out/hand back when things are going badly.

They are not as pretty as the Singapore Girls - they are not as compatent and friendly as the middle eastern carriers and yet some how believe they are gods sent gift to flight attendants.

They are paid substantially higher than the Virgin Cabin crew.

Is seems to be a serious short coming of theirs that they fail to realise how good their job actually is.

I think BA's passengers must stick behind the airline and say we will still fly with you - even if you have to cancel a few flight to sort out their staff. This will encourage BA to take the necessary steps to address their staff problems.

Are the staff and Unions fully aware that if they don't help the airline out - I don't like Walsh by the way - then BA will cease to exist as a going concern.
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Old Nov 2, 2009, 12:15 am
  #101  
 
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Lambasting BA crew wont raise support in here. There is a substantial amount of BA crew who've actually understood the situation and are willing to accept concessions.

It is BASSA holding the airline ransom.
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Old Nov 2, 2009, 12:25 am
  #102  
 
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I am not aware of the number of BA crew in here. If my comments are correct or not surely one needs to accept the validity of them if they are. It hardly is a criticism if one realises it is something that needs to be addressed.

I assume BASSA is the union?

Have the moderate crew attempted to bring up these issues with their union?
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Old Nov 2, 2009, 12:33 am
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For a greater understanding of the emotions raised and complexity of this issue, maybe a little research on PPrune would help.
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Old Nov 2, 2009, 12:40 am
  #104  
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Originally Posted by Petrus
Lambasting BA crew wont raise support in here. There is a substantial amount of BA crew who've actually understood the situation and are willing to accept concessions.

It is BASSA holding the airline ransom.
I do understand that there are crew posting here who have a very reasonable attitude. But they seem to be a minority or keeping silent, as elected union leaders seem to be of a very different opinion.
I do understand that there are shareholders posting here who wish to do a lot to support their investment and are unpleased by pax changing their bookings to other airlines.
The fact remains that BA union leaders keep behaving irresponsibly time after time. IMO the natural way out is for BA to go to some form of bankruptcy (as happened to many airlines in US and Europe) and give birth to a new BA. It might be painful for employees and retirees, but they beg for it.
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Old Nov 2, 2009, 1:01 am
  #105  
 
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Originally Posted by 747-444
They are not as pretty as the Singapore Girls - they are not as compatent and friendly as the middle eastern carriers and yet some how believe they are gods sent gift to flight attendants.
Subjective.

They are paid substantially higher than the Virgin Cabin crew.
True.

Is seems to be a serious short coming of theirs that they fail to realise how good their job actually is.
I believe it's the opposite - BA crew realise how good their terms are, and therefore will fight tooth and nail to keep them.

It doesn't help that old-contract crew (and a lot of crew that have been working 7+ years) would face a shocking drop in salary and lifestyle/days off/annual leave if they had to leave and find a 'regular' job; many don't have the qualifications or are too old to find anything that could begin to match the generous terms they currently enjoy; mortages and lifestyles have been built around current terms and pay ... so it's not surprising crew who see their job as a career are concerned.

Although the company would argue that no one's pay will be affected, the reality is that any future promotions/fleet transfers will be dependent on signing new contracts; any future workforce will work to market rate pay + 10%, and the fear is that eventually, all work/routes will be transferred to this new operation = current staff will be left with no work/no choice but to move to new fleet.

I can see both sides of the argument; those are the choices BA staff are being asked to make - change or move on.

Of course, this has been the reality at Gatwick for a couple of years now.
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