VintageKrug - 15/12/2009 17:51 GMT
BASSA is the BA crew association, closely aligned with the Transport Union Unite (formerly T&GWU) which is orchestrating this industrial action.
The BASSA leadership are the Trots who threaten to shatter a million Christmases.
It is worthwhile understanding some of the more extreme positions which have been advocated by BASSA, in its disastrous management of this dispute which has led to a significant diminution in the T&Cs of its members, and has damaged the reputation of UKplc.
[EDIT] BASSA has stooped so low as to use children in its cause, pictured at its sparsely attended Kempton Park Rally in September 2010:
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/94c16cff08.jpg
sheriden - 16/12/2009 13:18 GMT
VK
I have read your posts for some time now. They are in danger of becoming somewhat repetitive.
I'm sure all the readers to this board are aware of your views, until you have something extra to add value to the discussion would you mind not posting.
I would consider it a personal favour.
Many thanks.
alexlondon - 16/12/2009 22:15 GMT
I like hearing VKs views. Might not always agree, but a useful perspective.
VintageKrug - 17/12/2009 00:02 GMT
Apologies for linking to the Daily Hate, but this article from tomorrow's front pages sheds some light on the top brass at BASSA:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1236471/The-BA-comrade-California--50-000-year-union-activist-lives-LA-flown-year.html
While Unite Leaders are sunning themselves in LA, Cabin Crew are resigning in protest from Unite at the appalling handling of the strike date and duration:
www.pprune.org/cabin-crew/379770-british-airways-cc-industrial-relations-negotiations-post5380008.html#post5379998
From over 11,000 member in 2009, BASSA has under 9,500 remaining, following resignations by existing crew who recognise this mismanagement.
VintageKrug - 17/12/2009 09:31 GMT
Saw this on another website. BASSA show their true colours:
------------------------
BASSA > Latest News
DAILY MAIL SMEAR CAMPAIGNDec 16th, 2009 by admin
Just to inform you that the Daily Mail have been "doorstepping" reps tonight and delving into their personal lives. The intention is to mount a smear campaign probably starting tomorrow.
The "information" that has been provided to the Mail can only have come from one source.
Please treat everything you read tomorrow or the next day about your BASSA reps with the utmost caution. This whole situation is in the hands of UNITE lawyers.
Obviously we are being cautious tonight with what we say, but please treat everything you read in the media with circumspect and suspicion.
Tomorrow, articles will appear about BASSA Reps in national newspapers.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, are articles that appear in any form of electronic/printed media about the reps, or any form of links to those articles, be posted on the forum.
If somebody attempts to do this, their posting rights will be AUTOMATICALLY SUSPENDED.
This will be the first and only notice on this issue.
--------------------------------
So, free speech alive and well on the BASSA Forum, then...
Charles-P - 17/12/2009 10:04 GMT
The rise in union militancy is something we are all going to have to come to terms with over the next few years. With many unions having now joined together we are faced with their power growing.
Many of us who travel in London have seen the rise of the RMT and their leader Bob Crow who describes himself as "communist stroke socialist". He is commited to ever more confrontational policies to achieve his aim of a fully unionised, fully nationalised, transport system in the EU.
VintageKrug - 07/01/2010 01:19 GMT
More evidence of BASSA militancy, this sourced from another website but communicated via email to BASSA (BA Stewards and Stewardesses Association) members:
-------------
Originally Posted by BASSA:
During this period of disruption due to the heavy snow and related
transport chaos, it is paramount that all crew adhere to our respective
agreements that we normally work to, i.e. World Wide Agreement, Euro fleet Agreement and the MOA at Gatwick.
If you are in any doubt whether you are being asked to work outside of
your agreement please call BASSA. We have 24 hour coverage.
Thank you.
--------------
Basically telling members not to be at all flexible in order to help passengers get home/reach their destination as the snow hits travel plans even further.
It really is sad that cabin crew, who are a decent bunch of people, are represented by such 1970s style union leaders, intent on causing misery for passengers and financial loss to everyone involved in the operation.
I am sure most cabin crew will, like passengers, be as eager to get home as passengers and will do their utmost to adopt a pragmatic approach to the Disruption Agreement.
VintageKrug - 03/03/2010 21:17 GMT
More evidence for the bizarre world in which BASSA operates
It's completely ridiculous and has no place in a modern business. This is how Unite/BAssa/Amicus believe the world should work:
Here:
www.uniteba.com/LGWfisherupdate240709.html
you can see that BA originally wanted a la carte dining for London City, but it "wouldn't work" according to BASSA.
Here:
www.uniteba.com/LGWfisherFTA270709.html
you can see that Unite originally wanted Cabin Crew to have 24 hours rest in Ireland after operating the arduous (less than one hour!) LCY-SNN service
Here:
www.uniteba.com/LGWLHRhottowels.html
you can see Unite refusing to accept the infamous hot towels in WT+ as it involves extra work or "passes" and goes so far as to suggest this would need a whole extra crew member to accomplish.
Far from the Cabin Crew Union being all for enhanced services to customers, it is all too clear how often BASSA and Unite/Amicus have over the years hamstrung BA Management to accepting pathetic compromise.
If management can be criticised for anything it should be for being lily-livered and cow-towing to these idiots for far too long.
It's time the management re-asserted themselves and supported those crew keen to deliver the highest levels of service, and deliver profits for themselves, the airline and ultimately delivered a remuneration scheme which continues to deliver an appropriate profit share to incentivise staff to support a profitable BA.
NTarrant - 03/03/2010 22:18 GMT
It just goes to show how out dated they are! Its a bit like WC Boggs & Sons and the fitting of a combined tap and waste unit on a bidet in the Carry On film!!!
VintageKrug - 04/03/2010 11:57 GMT
Indeed, though sadly BASSA's behaviour could result in a "Didn't Carry On" situation for the airline.
I maintain that Cabin Crew on the whole deserve our support. BASSA/Unite/Amicus deserves neither our backing, nor theirs
VintageKrug - 17/03/2010 06:08 GMT
Seems they are so concerned about lack of turnout that they have now decided to drag in the US Teamsters Union to garner further support and potentially widen this Industrial Action to oneworld partner airlines in the USA.
Seems they have the temerity to use their Teamster connections to ground US bound BA flights by stopping them landing and frustrating ground handling operations.
Even more evidence this Union needs to be brought down to size.
The Teamsters are notoriously militant. Though being US based, I really don't see what mandate they have to get involved.
Easy for the BASSA chair to draw them into this matter. She lives in LA, and enjoys trips around the world on BA for reduced prices for life.
Handy that.
sheridan you are right .vk you are incapable of reading between the lines
ibelieveanything - there is no need to be rude or personal. Any regular contributor to these forums knows where VK stands. But equally, he is not the only person whose stance is not a secret and many of us are capable of respecting the right we all have to comment and at the same time aiming very slightly off for the known views of familiar contributors.
More serious here is the attempt to involve other (foreign) unions in a dispute between BA and Unite/BASSA. At least in a dispute between employer and employee, both sides are constrained by the fact that they both suffer if the dispute causes material damage to the company. What restraint do the teamsters have? Indeed, is it not in their interest and their members' interest for BA to go bust? It was for this reason that secondary striking and sympathy strikes have been outlawed in the UK.
When even the prime minister is urging the unions to think again, Unite and BASSA are playing an extremely dangerous game if they invite people who have a material interest in the failure of their negotiations, and of BA itself, to meddle in an affair which is absolutely none of their business.
scott72 - 18/03/2010 15:59 GMT
VK...she IS married to an American, and so can live in the UK or US.
VintageKrug - 19/03/2010 06:04 GMT
This internationalisation of the strike is both illegal and unconscionable.
VintageKrug - 21/03/2010 11:10 GMT
Interesting how the BASSA/Unite spin doesn't match the reality of the situation:
http://uniteba.com/index.html
Childish pic off WW with devil's eyes says so much more about Unite than it does about the Chief Executive.
If this is really what an alleged "80%" walkout looks like then Unite looks pretty powerless to me.
VintageKrug - 22/03/2010 11:59 GMT
I was actually rather amused to hear a soundbite from the picket line on the radio this morning:
"Willie out, Willie out, Willie Willie Willie, out out out"
I do hope none of the stewards (or at least one heavy-set looking stewardess I once saw on a flight back from BOS) follow through.
VintageKrug - 24/03/2010 19:24 GMT
Quite appalled by this image:
http://daylife.sky.com/imageserve/0dmM91Edndabg/610x.jpg
A really low comparison, and one which is simply and wholly inappropriate to the current dispute.
Using Nazi imagery is absolutely unacceptable, and should not be tolerated. Very, very poor judgement on the part of Unite, and the individual concerned.
NTarrant - 24/03/2010 20:19 GMT
I quite agree VK, imagine that was one of their officers on a T shirt with the Nazi imagery. They would soon have something to say. It just goes to show how Unite have lost the plot that they have to stoop to this low to get a point across.
JordanD - 24/03/2010 21:39 GMT
If only one could invoke Godwin's law to end this debate.
