Virgin pilot strike

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 33 total)

  • CallMeIshmael
    Participant

    Hippo, take time out to read the research findings of Herzberg “One More Time: How Do you Motivate Employees” HBR 1987 Issue 5. Also Newman “Emotional Capitalists: The New Leaders” 2006 for clues. Better still have IAG/BA board execs learn and apply.

    Amongst a raft of superior Emotional Intelligence attributes Sir Richard demonstrates is inclusivity. At no time does he threaten, ostracize or alienate key component parts even when they are at odds. Sir Richard works hard to be inclusive, a family, a team with corresponding team culture. Contrast this with Willie Walsh who actively promoted division. Never before in UK employee relations has an employer gone to such lengths campaigning to proscribe a critical core team. It is the action of a small boy peeing in his pants for warmth in winter.

    As to the price fixing, I thought it was Virgin who were the whistleblower in the first inst.


    Bucksnet
    Participant

    So basically Branson thinks that because he is being nice that the staff will just put up with anything?


    Hippocampus
    Participant

    Virgin did blow the whistle on the price fixing but Richard Branson has still never personally apologised for Virgin’s behaviour, which is just cowardly.

    What Willie Walsh faced with BASSA does not compare with the pilots at Virgin. BASSA wanted any excuse to strike and let’s not forget that their immediate response to a strike mandate was to call 12 days of strikes over Christmas. And BA showed incredible patience and dignity in the face of extreme militancy and a highly personal and vitriolic campaign by BASSA.

    Branson’s letter doesn’t wash because he ignores the key issues. If there is movement by Virgin management on this (I doubt they will get much movement on the pay deal) then hopefully strike dates will not be called. A strike could be potentially disastrous for Virgin and I’m sure BALPA knows this.

    But, still, never pass on chance to have a go at Willie Walsh eh?


    CallMeIshmael
    Participant

    It is about effective leadership.

    Once a leader takes a highly confrontational approach the parties become polarised and entrenched making near term resolution far harder to attain. Further, a divisive leadership leaves a toxic ditritus long after settlement.

    http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/08/true_leaders_are_also_managers.html


    Tete_de_cuvee
    Participant

    What is cowardly is Walsh apparently condoning the loss of around half a BILLION pounds in fines and compensation by failing to hold the instigators, and those in the know to employee and public account.


    LPPSKrisflyer
    Participant

    I know a few people who work in the Virgin ’empire’ including Atlantic as pilots and cabin crew, Active as gym managers and trainers and on the trains. Other than working in the ’empire’ the one story they all tell is that the smiling face of Branson is very false facade on a policy of stuff the workforce at every possible opportunity. The pilots are probably the group who can get more attention than any other and the most difficult to control or replace.

    I’m not usually in favour of unions or strike action but it sounds like enough is enough at Virgin and they have my support.


    ExpoExpert
    Participant

    An important factor to consider here …. is Virgin Atlantic making a profit? Who knows? Rising fuel prices are making it increasingly difficult for any airline, and it must be detrimental to Virgin’s business not to be part of any consortium.

    Sir Richard has already let it be known that he would quite like to be shot of his airlines, and Singapore Airlines also has been public about wanting to cast off its 49%. My guess is that the purchase of this share was the most stupid decision that management at SIA ever made.

    Call this wild speculation if you like, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there is no Virgin Atlantic in a couple of years time. Virgin used to have the largest music shops in the world: where are they now? Virgin Cola, remember?

    Admittedly, Sir Richard has a really wonderful wonderful smile .. very nearly as good as that of a former Prime Minister who we all still love …


    Charles-P
    Participant

    Perhaps Virgin is still trying to make up the cost of all those First Class flights taken by Randolph Fields 🙂


    HonestCrew
    Participant

    Maybe BA’s pilots will volunteer to fly the planes for Virgin on their days off?
    They are already shamed in the pilot community for their actions during the BA cabin crew dispute (volunteering to work as cabin crew for financial reward.)

    Could they lower themselves to do it? If there’s a chance of making a quick buck…..you bet they could.


    ANDREWYOUNG1
    Participant

    Virgin Atlantic pilots’ strike update from BALPA:

    “BALPA has withdrawn to consider its position. Talks will resume on Monday morning.” 01/07/2011

    http://www.balpa.org/News-and-campaigns/News/VIRGIN-UPDATE.aspx


    pixelmeister
    Participant

    HonestCrew

    snide comments like yours show a number of things. Firstly, if taken at face value they reveal a complete lack of undertsanding of employee terms and conditions in organisations as well as zero understanding of CAA regs.

    Secondly, they are factually inaccurate. In all the postings here and on other forums, the suggestion that flight crew volunteers who operated as cabin crew during the recent dispute got some kind of backhander or other financial incentive has been roundly disproven. If you have facts that indicate otherwise I suggest you publish them, but make sure you can support your assertion.

    Back on topic.

    The flight crew community in most airlines tend to be fairly amenable. It takes a lot to upset them, but they are not unreasonable people – see the Easyjet/BALPA resolution earlier this year for an example of a situation where the two sides were poles apart, yet were able to come to an agreement. The problem that Virgin face is that a flight crew strike will definitely ground the airline. It’s not a case of merely wet leasing a few extra planes, there is the slight issue about what to do with the fleet that is on the tarmac. No pilots, no shifting them – OK so you could get a tug to tow them but the stand charges are going to be steep. 38 planes stuck at LHR and LGW isn’t much fun and with no pilots to shift them to other airports could lead to congestion. So Virgin management have to strike a deal of some sort. The pilots know that a walkout will hit the company’s profits, but having balloted their credibility is also at stake. The announcement that BALPA has withdrawn to consider their position does not sound good. In the current climate, a strike could have a grim effect on Virgin. I guess the gamble from the union side is whether they beleive that management will blink first. Unlike the BA strike, Virgin can’t draft in volunteer pilots, so have less ability to tough it out. My bet is that Virgin management will come up with an improved offer and that the pilot community will accept it, even if the improvement is only marginal. Neither side wants to place the company in jeopardy.


    HonestCrew
    Participant

    Pixel
    I have been in this game for long enough to know the rules and regs of airlines, crew and the CAA.

    My comment was an (obviously) sarcastic one, one which has been mentioned not only around cabin crew circles but pilots of other airlines who still can’t believe they did what they did.

    I assure you pilots WERE paid to fly as cabin crew. Straight from the horse’s mouth of one of these ‘colleagues’ who told me whilst trying to justify why he did it.
    I don’t know what other proof I could give. You can’t believe what you read in the papers otherwise I’d be earning £29,000 a year and flying around the world for free every week on staff travel. Both utter rubbish.

    My reason for being on here is to provide an honest insight to the job, answering, if I can, questions customers may have to why this?.. or why that? Sometimes I will defend BA other times I will openly admit their shortcomings.
    I also attempt to show that just because frequent flyers know how to pass through airport security without having to be told to remove their belt, it doesn’t mean they automatically become experts on airline operation and the internal goings on.
    I would never post anything as ‘fact’ without first hand knowledge.

    One forum member posted recently, having read a few news articles “If you ask me most of BA crew are happy at work with things the way they going.”
    This is a classic example of some of the pseudo intellectuals who think they know everything about everything and regularly post on here.
    Make me want to pull my hair out.

    ANYWAY…. back to the thread. Take my comment as simple jibe, I couldn’t give a monkey’s if Virgin pilots strike.I know nothing about their problems so won’t comment further on them.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    does anyone know if its still on or if its off?

    Is there a Virgin Atlantic equivalent of VintageKrug (not for one minute suggesting that our Prof. of all things BA works for BA)!


    Binman62
    Participant

    As I expected VS backed down. Strike threat lifted. Mr branding is no Willie Walsh.

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