Can I help you

So are you going to be ballotted separately and how could the CSMs support the main crew who in reality will be very nervous about taking industrial action?
It seems to me that they have very little to lose and seem to have a lot of support from customers and colleagues on the other fleets.
This time they will not be able to play one fleet against the other and we will just have the usual suspects to worry about!

Bearface

BA HR references, like the references from most large companies these days, merely state something like "so and so worked here from this date to this date as <insert job title>"

Bearface

I have friends at other airlines who take home more than MF after tax.

MF crew member - averages £1200 a month after tax
Qantas LHR - £1800
Virgin - £1500
easyJet - £1600 winter, £1900 summer

One could probably earn more than MF crew working in a premium store in London or working for a posh restaurant with tips. And no jet lag either!

I do wonder what BA's plan is now - so paying your crew a low wage and giving them inferior terms and conditions is causing them to strike. Knowing BA management, some bright spark will come up with the idea of cabin crew apprenticeships and pay them £3.40 an hour. Why not make them pay their own accommodation down route too?

After all, millions of people would love to be cabin crew, make them pay to work to increase BA's profit!

youngfogey

An eye opening thread for me.

The salary offered is significantly less than I imagined for what I consider a tough job. It makes me wonder what cabin crew must think of fat grumpy old hectors such as myself who sit in comfy seats and expect the world. I couldn't do it so good luck to them in seeking a better settlement.

On a side issue and apologies if it's to soon to ask but what should I do if I have a flight on a future strike date? Should I call BA and ask to be put on another airline as soon as I know I'll be impacted? I'd guess it would be best if I had a suggested solution to offer them rather than just asking them for options?

Oh and one last thing, I'm an infrequent poster (avid lurker) but I never got a welcome from CWS. Not that I'm bitter or anything ( well I have talked to my therapist about this and they did say I was bitter but I think she has anger issues anyway).

ahmetdouas

As an expert on strikes (I live in Greece go figure), generally airlines refuse to do anything about it until the strike is OFFICIAL, as in a few days before it probably goes ahead in December. So until then you can't change anything you have already booked, BA will be like strike? what strike? = )

bealine

Funny you should say that...............

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/...-cabin-9011744

corporate-wage-slave

I see you have a very perceptive therapist youngfogey, though that's apparently not unusual around here, perhaps you are on a timeshare with another FTer or two. But with no further ado, let me belatedly welcome you to Flyertalk, it would normally suggest that it is good to see you here, but there again we seem to be past that point already.

As for what to do with any bookings, firstly ascertain whether you are on a Mixed Fleet route, it's only that section of the crew that is affected. Secondly it is fair to point out that not all ballots lead to a strike, and not all strike notifications end up happening. At this stage I doubt BA would entertain any changes until a day or so after the 7 Day Notification, when usually a "Customer Handling" notification goes out, setting out the policy. Normally it's posted up here within an hour, so by watching your new favourite forum you can keep ahead of the game.

MickV

I think you are staggeringly deluded if you think there will be a lot of support from customers for a strike. This will diminish even further if it's organised over important dates.

Bearface

I imagine they'll soon have a new fleet called "Apprentice Fleet" formed entirely of those aged 18-19 years old working towards an NVQ Level 3 in Customer Service.

Or perhaps they will have the minimum number of certified and trained cabin crew required by law and then a number of "cabin service assistants" on each flight who don't have safety role and door? Emirates has them but they are only responsible for the onboard shower.

Bearface

I imagine somewhere at Waterside, there is a whole team working on automating the cabin crew role and replacing them with robots!

Tiger_lily

Hmmm. Can you imagine being served an enhanced CW meal by one of the scutters from Red Dwarf?

Flexible preferences

Your therapist may be reflecting your own anger through projective identification

My hunch is a strike wont happen, but it may be wishful thinking as I have MF flights in April.

hugolover

I disagree. Perhaps at first, on the headlines. But once customers realise how little they are paid and yet how expensive BA LCC airways is they will understand. Not everyone is flying ex-EU B2B to save £££.

flatlander

I reckon the teenager of the household, currently working in a midrange restaurant in a town in the East of England to fund her gap year, is taking home more than 1200/month after tax. A job that is sometimes fatiguing, but has no jetlag, and far less safety responsibilities!

It seems clear to me that MF are underpaid: underpaid by comparison to their peers, and underpaid by comparison to vaguely similar other jobs, and underpaid in comparison to costs of living where they typically have to live (to be within reach of Heathrow for work). I am not at all surprised they are pressing their case strongly for more pay, to the point of withdrawing their labour.

dougzz

I think MickV is more on it. Most people overly concerned with themselves, and this forum not representative of flyers. If it was there'd be 100 CW and 2 WT on most flights. Not that any of them would be occupied as no one would fly BA because they're so bad. How will we know what they're paid, one side will say £15K and the other £25K.