Globaliser

I hope so, too. And I hope that if management realises that 10% is not attainable, and that it may be time to settle for a figure which is still good compared to the airline's peers (including those with lower cost bases), it is time not to kill the company for the sake of a chimaera.I was told that just over 10,000 ballots were sent out. The T&G figure was 8,100 returned (see above), although my initial info was that it was 8,500.

PhilH

80% voted, which is a very high turnout. 96% of 80% is 77% of total T&G union membership at BA.

GUWonder

Whenever this happens, I hope it doesn't happen in the first two weeks of February or that'll wreck havoc with my plans. I guess I'll just make additional reservations on other airlines for those same dates into/out of London just in case and just cancel them the night before/morning of.

vla

Heslehurst, BBC World Business Reporter

Transport and General Workers Union said serious breakdown in industrial relations. Cabin crew have accused Willie Walsh of introducing 'macho management practices', that's their word for it, pushing down staff to work when they're unwell, driving wage rates and also eroding terms and conditions. The union claims that while profits and share prices have been rocketing, cabin crew have seen their terms and conditions attacked and wages decreased. And perhaps when you just look at this chart here and see the share price rocketing, perhaps you can see where they're coming from.

The pilots union accepts the pension plan but no word on strike action. GMB union refuses to endorse the plan but will begin balloting, will push for industrial action. T&G and Amicus are undergoing consultations.

Lobbenberg, ABN AMRO analyst

The other industrial actions were not directly related to BA actions, but this is a problem for BA.

If BA is to deliver its 10% margin through the cycle there's still lot more cost cutting to take place and this is directly related to this reality.

PhilH

I would say that if the strikes do go ahead, they are almost certain to take place in that timeframe. They have to happen within one month of the vote, so by Feb 15th at the latest, and there has to be some time in the first week or two for negotiation between union and management.

So I wait a week or two, see what happens, then make alternative arrangements if need be.

Panic Stations

Current indications are that they are planning a series of 3 day strikes over a 12 week period.

Interesting if this works

BAAZ

96% yes on an 80% turnout is pretty much as comprehensive a "yes" vote as you can get.

Even if they didn't/don't want to actually strike, presumably this is the only way CC can express their strength of feeling?

Yahoo! reported this as relating to the pensions issue, but I assume they're wrong and it relates to the "12 issues" mentioned earlier, including EG300 etc.

Let's hope sense prevails this week.

ian001

I doubt very much BA will be dishing out tens of thousands of miles to pax who cannot use a fully flexible F ticket due to strike action, not least a) because you would have 7 days notice of any strike and b) BAEC will have seen the countless posts on this board with the above suggestion.

Raffles

Yes, that's right. BA is going to risk alienating literally tens of thousands of pax (who will already be seriously p*ssed off with the company for cancelling their flight at short notice) by giving no compensation because they may end up giving bonus miles to 10 people from FT who decided to 'gamble' £30 (the cost of refunding that fully flex ticket) on getting bonus miles. Or possibly not.

ian001

It's been a long time since there was official strike action at BA. There was a ballot for industrial action in 2004, but that was called off. We only have the experience of the unofficial walkouts to go on and this thread may help.

clubman

Since when does it cost £30 to refund a fully flex ticket?
You either cancel online and costs you nothing, or cancel offline and pay £15 offline fee.
Or is this something new?

aristoph

Fully fully flex (ie interlinable) tickets are not refundable on line and BA has always charged that £15 cancellation fee to do it over the phone, even though it is their own fault you can't do it online. Another nice little customer service touch.

clubman

Yes true in most cases, but there are some destination that allow you to cancel online, and I have done in the past.
Just can’t remember which one's...

colmc

The folks over in EI must be having nostalgia bouts. I can't remember how many CC strikes he rode out when there :/

Halo

Sorry if this sounds niaive but I have no idea what the answer is. My family and I are flying to BNE via SIN in Feb. SIN - BNE is on Qantas metal but LHR-SIN is BA. Returning via BKK on BA SYD-BKK and BKK-LHR also in Feb. What is the situation if our flights are cancelled because of strike action? I have Amex Plat insurance etc. Is it an insurable event? We are tied in to the dates because of school holidays (half term) and it would be a nightmare to change all the different arrangements already in place. I don't even know if our bookings are refundable - should I just look for alternatives now? Thanks for your help and advice.