Good Luck BA Cabin Crew
Mar 20, 2010, 5:41 pm
#31
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Well given they have managed to fly (I think) every flight that they said they would today and have more than was planned for tomorrow which is encouraging. Especially given the most respected national newspaper the News of The World have declared the strike crushed.
Mar 20, 2010, 5:44 pm
#32
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Mar 20, 2010, 5:50 pm
#33
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Mar 20, 2010, 5:56 pm
#34
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Mar 20, 2010, 5:58 pm
#35
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Further reported evidence of airline workers seeking ITF solidarity here :
http://www.balpa.org/News-and-campai...ARTICLE43.aspx
http://www.balpa.org/News-and-campai...ARTICLE43.aspx
Mar 20, 2010, 9:39 pm
#36
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Okay as I understand it the other unions mentioned in that article are supporting the case that BALPA brought to the ILO. I don't see how they are trying to hinder passengers trying to go abroad or come home in that case it's more to do with the right to strike. So that's nothing to do with this case and BALPA settled with BA on the pay issue at the same time as (as far as I know) all the other unions bar the striking ones now.
As Jumbodriver points out here
As Jumbodriver points out here
Originally Posted by Jumbodriver
Whilst BASSA were screaming no no no this time last year. BA told all unions what the business plan savings were to be. They also allowed all the unions to come up with proposals that achieved those savings themselves, so they could be made with as little pain as possible. Thats not sidelining the unions its positively involving them.
Some unions took that chance, some didnt. I think its now clear which way was the right way.
Some unions took that chance, some didnt. I think its now clear which way was the right way.
Last edited by Jimmie76; Mar 20, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Mar 20, 2010, 10:21 pm
#37
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Originally Posted by thread linked above
It's getting ugly between BASSA and BALPA (pilots)
After this was posted on the BASSA forum:
Quote:
It's a funny old world...
It wasn't so long ago that our pilot colleagues wanted our help.
They were organizing a ballot for strike action over their fears regarding
the introduction of "open skies" and the impact it could have on their
future prospects and earnings.
Our pilot colleagues were, quite rightly, concerned and felt very
confident of their moral high ground and balked at the audacity of British
Airways for daring to seek to undermine them by employing cheap labour
pilots, on inferior terms and conditions.
BA attempted to end their legitimate ballot by legal action, and their
threats prevailed.
Sound familiar?
How surprising then, as we face a battle for our own survival, that BALPA
has tacitly set up a facility on its website forum, for its own members to
actively volunteer to work as cabin crew to break our strike.
How thoughtful of them to repay our support. They can rest assured that
when their time comes, and it will, that we will be equally supportive.
Apologies to those pilot colleagues - and we know there are many - who
have a conscience and would never dream of doing such an underhand act,
but to those that choose to do so and those that requested it....
Have a good long hard look at yourself and remember how much our two
communities will suffer. Our Unions may not have always seen eye to eye
but at the end of the sector when push comes to shove (and doors go into
manual) crew will always "protect" pilots ...............
The following has been released by the pilots union, BALPA
Quote:
Statement from Jim McAuslan, General Secretary BALPA:
Last summer, and following a thorough review of the companys finances, BALPA members recognised that major changes needed to be made to the companys cost base. Other staff groups, including engineers, shared that view.
As a result pilots voted to contribute 26 million of annual savings to help the company survive and thrive and in return will have some equity in the company.
BALPA and the vast majority of its members have a very different analysis of the situation in BA to representatives of the cabin crew union. We recognise the frustration that must have prompted so many cabin crew members to vote for strike action last year, but BALPA members were stunned by the threat of a 12 day strike at Christmas.
BALPA is not in dispute with BA and if and when a strike is called by the cabin crew union we will issue guidance to our members to ensure they comply with the law and operate normally to fulfil their full range of duties.
We understand a number of pilots have responded to BAs call for volunteers to keep the airline operating through any strike and from their postings it is clear that this is out of concern for their own futures and that of other employees. For the avoidance of doubt, BALPAs position on this is neutral and we will not dictate to our members. Nevertheless the suggestion that BALPA has tacitly set up a facility on its website forum, for its own members to actively volunteer to work as cabin crew to break our strike is entirely false and I have written to Unite explaining this.
We will continue to highlight to both our own members, and to the leadership of other unions that, once any strike is settled, it will be important for good and safe operations for fellow employees whether they operate on the flight-deck or in the cabin, to work together.
BALPA still hopes that both sides can reach a negotiated settlement and if
there is any role we can play to help with this then we only need to be asked.
And this letter has gone to the BASSA chair:
Quote:
Lizanne,
This has become a regular complaint now. We have, in the past, tolerated snipes and snide remarks from your organisation but as the stakes are so high for you, and our employer, we must now play this completely by the book (and letter of the LAW).
YET AGAIN you have posted a completely false and potentially libelous statement about BALPA on your forum. I attach it below. We have never and will never put any link or other tacit support for Backing BA on our forum or elsewhere. In this dispute we remain neutral as an organisation, our Chairman Brendan O'Neal made that very clear the moment "Backing BA" was launched. Our members are at liberty to volunteer for the scheme if they so wish. We give no guidance or assistance if they choose to do this. This is in line with any other voluntary scheme BA have ever run. BALPA does not dictate actions to our members.
To correct another obvious error, we never asked for your "support" during the OpenSkies dispute with BA. I made several phone calls to Sean Beatty to brief him but never made an approach for assistance. BALPA as a whole did seek a Unite endorsement for our campaign at the TUC but that was downstream of our dispute. A handful of your members supported us on our march on 15th March but that numbered no more than half a dozen. There were of course many spouses and partners of our members that may well have also been members of your union- we did not log marchers' affiliation. It is however incorrect to say BALPA asked for support or indeed that any was given by BASSA either overtly or otherwise.
I ask you to consider the effect your communications may have on relations between our two communities. Our respective members work together in a very proximate and safety critical environment. Creating a divide and spreading false and inflammatory comments about our community and/or union will not help either side maintain a safe, dignified and professional atmosphere in the workplace. We must both do our utmost to preserve relations between our respective workgroups.
The above will be followed up by a letter from John Moore to Steve Turner. Once again, we request you remove or edit the offending article at the earliest opportunity and in any event by midday today (22nd Jan). We reserve our right to litigate if you fail to comply.
The above is all subject to disclosure due to your ongoing legal action with BA. I will also post it on our forum for our members for their information. You are free to do likewise.
xxxxxx xxxxxxx
British Airways Company Council
BALPA
After this was posted on the BASSA forum:
Quote:
It's a funny old world...
It wasn't so long ago that our pilot colleagues wanted our help.
They were organizing a ballot for strike action over their fears regarding
the introduction of "open skies" and the impact it could have on their
future prospects and earnings.
Our pilot colleagues were, quite rightly, concerned and felt very
confident of their moral high ground and balked at the audacity of British
Airways for daring to seek to undermine them by employing cheap labour
pilots, on inferior terms and conditions.
BA attempted to end their legitimate ballot by legal action, and their
threats prevailed.
Sound familiar?
How surprising then, as we face a battle for our own survival, that BALPA
has tacitly set up a facility on its website forum, for its own members to
actively volunteer to work as cabin crew to break our strike.
How thoughtful of them to repay our support. They can rest assured that
when their time comes, and it will, that we will be equally supportive.
Apologies to those pilot colleagues - and we know there are many - who
have a conscience and would never dream of doing such an underhand act,
but to those that choose to do so and those that requested it....
Have a good long hard look at yourself and remember how much our two
communities will suffer. Our Unions may not have always seen eye to eye
but at the end of the sector when push comes to shove (and doors go into
manual) crew will always "protect" pilots ...............
The following has been released by the pilots union, BALPA
Quote:
Statement from Jim McAuslan, General Secretary BALPA:
Last summer, and following a thorough review of the companys finances, BALPA members recognised that major changes needed to be made to the companys cost base. Other staff groups, including engineers, shared that view.
As a result pilots voted to contribute 26 million of annual savings to help the company survive and thrive and in return will have some equity in the company.
BALPA and the vast majority of its members have a very different analysis of the situation in BA to representatives of the cabin crew union. We recognise the frustration that must have prompted so many cabin crew members to vote for strike action last year, but BALPA members were stunned by the threat of a 12 day strike at Christmas.
BALPA is not in dispute with BA and if and when a strike is called by the cabin crew union we will issue guidance to our members to ensure they comply with the law and operate normally to fulfil their full range of duties.
We understand a number of pilots have responded to BAs call for volunteers to keep the airline operating through any strike and from their postings it is clear that this is out of concern for their own futures and that of other employees. For the avoidance of doubt, BALPAs position on this is neutral and we will not dictate to our members. Nevertheless the suggestion that BALPA has tacitly set up a facility on its website forum, for its own members to actively volunteer to work as cabin crew to break our strike is entirely false and I have written to Unite explaining this.
We will continue to highlight to both our own members, and to the leadership of other unions that, once any strike is settled, it will be important for good and safe operations for fellow employees whether they operate on the flight-deck or in the cabin, to work together.
BALPA still hopes that both sides can reach a negotiated settlement and if
there is any role we can play to help with this then we only need to be asked.
And this letter has gone to the BASSA chair:
Quote:
Lizanne,
This has become a regular complaint now. We have, in the past, tolerated snipes and snide remarks from your organisation but as the stakes are so high for you, and our employer, we must now play this completely by the book (and letter of the LAW).
YET AGAIN you have posted a completely false and potentially libelous statement about BALPA on your forum. I attach it below. We have never and will never put any link or other tacit support for Backing BA on our forum or elsewhere. In this dispute we remain neutral as an organisation, our Chairman Brendan O'Neal made that very clear the moment "Backing BA" was launched. Our members are at liberty to volunteer for the scheme if they so wish. We give no guidance or assistance if they choose to do this. This is in line with any other voluntary scheme BA have ever run. BALPA does not dictate actions to our members.
To correct another obvious error, we never asked for your "support" during the OpenSkies dispute with BA. I made several phone calls to Sean Beatty to brief him but never made an approach for assistance. BALPA as a whole did seek a Unite endorsement for our campaign at the TUC but that was downstream of our dispute. A handful of your members supported us on our march on 15th March but that numbered no more than half a dozen. There were of course many spouses and partners of our members that may well have also been members of your union- we did not log marchers' affiliation. It is however incorrect to say BALPA asked for support or indeed that any was given by BASSA either overtly or otherwise.
I ask you to consider the effect your communications may have on relations between our two communities. Our respective members work together in a very proximate and safety critical environment. Creating a divide and spreading false and inflammatory comments about our community and/or union will not help either side maintain a safe, dignified and professional atmosphere in the workplace. We must both do our utmost to preserve relations between our respective workgroups.
The above will be followed up by a letter from John Moore to Steve Turner. Once again, we request you remove or edit the offending article at the earliest opportunity and in any event by midday today (22nd Jan). We reserve our right to litigate if you fail to comply.
The above is all subject to disclosure due to your ongoing legal action with BA. I will also post it on our forum for our members for their information. You are free to do likewise.
xxxxxx xxxxxxx
British Airways Company Council
BALPA
Mar 20, 2010, 11:26 pm
#38
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Ditto that. Congrats to those who are doing their job this weekend and not contributing to the harm already done. :-: ^
Mar 20, 2010, 11:41 pm
#39
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Mar 21, 2010, 3:55 am
#40
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Well, given there was around an 80% yes vote, that statistic should be viewed as a fail from the union point of view, as clearly there isn't the level of solidarity as they would like to think there is.
Mar 21, 2010, 5:49 am
#41
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Good luck to those that are prepared to stand up for what they believe in. IMHO the people at the top of many businesses in the UK are now trying to ride roughshod over their workforces (whilst still creaming in huge amounts of cash for themselves) and it was only a matter of time before the workers said 'enough is enough'
Mar 21, 2010, 5:54 am
#42
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Okay as I understand it the other unions mentioned in that article are supporting the case that BALPA brought to the ILO. I don't see how they are trying to hinder passengers trying to go abroad or come home in that case it's more to do with the right to strike. So that's nothing to do with this case and BALPA settled with BA on the pay issue at the same time as (as far as I know) all the other unions bar the striking ones now.
As Jumbodriver points out here
As Jumbodriver points out here
What's the difference between them and 'nice' BALPA in this context?
Mar 21, 2010, 6:03 am
#43
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No, I couldn't. I don't know if their union is inept. Apparently, most of the Cabin Attendants believe in their union. The last I heard, WW was only able to operate approximately 53% of BA's Saturdays departures. And this is only day one.
Updated: http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/03/...ex.html?hpt=T2
Updated: http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/03/...ex.html?hpt=T2
Not surprising given the militancy of mobster Jimmy Hoffa's Teamsters Union that represented NWA FAs, but surprising giving many at NWA have now learnt the hard way (through the resounding defeat of the NWA mechanics' union AMFA) that the days of militant unionism are fast fading.
Mar 21, 2010, 6:03 am
#44
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Oh dear, I'm booked to fly on Apr 14th.
At least its a 777 so perhaps more likely to fly... though the BLR route has been cut (747) during this stoppage.
Ahh well pointless worrying too much now, though I might hod off paying for any more hotels etc until closer the time!
At least its a 777 so perhaps more likely to fly... though the BLR route has been cut (747) during this stoppage.
Ahh well pointless worrying too much now, though I might hod off paying for any more hotels etc until closer the time!
Mar 21, 2010, 6:54 am
#45
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In the current case (of which this thread is about) the union are trying to prevent BA from running those services they can, have sought 'help from international unions to do so and was planning to do this before they had balloted their members. Imagine you were crew (volunteer or otherwise) and you flew into an airport abroad where you knew that the union in that country was against you too.
I think the last paragraph of the Telegraph article speaks volumes.
Originally Posted by Telegraph
The fact that Unite were busy drumming up sympathy action from overseas unions even before they had balloted their members suggests they were never really serious about finding a negotiated settlement to the dispute but were always planning to go down the route of damaging strike action.